14 DAY TRIAL // Present in the vast majority of smartphones, consumer electronics, printers, cameras, hard drives and many other applications, ARM has announced the development of its first ARMv8-R processor core for real-time embedded apps.
Belonging to the Cortex-R series of real time processors, the new ARMv8-R will complement the ARMv8-A architecture improving the existing heritage of the 32-bit ARMv7-R processor, widely present in many consumer electronics and smartphones.
A new innovation within the ARMv8-R architecture is the introduction of a ‘bare metal’ Hypervisor mode which enables programmers to combine different operating systems, applications and real-time tasks on a single processor whilst ensuring strict isolation between them.
Although not being a 64-bit processor core, it will come with many overall improvements in software quality and will support more advanced embedded programming techniques such as model-based automated code generation.
Automotive friendly
Emerging automotive applications such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and cutting edge vehicle-to-vehicle communications together with improved factory automation applications with Human-Machine interface will enjoy the increased flexibility and performance of the new v8. A microcontroller incorporating an ARMv8-R processor will be able to host a Linux-based graphical interface while also real-time operating workloads as motor controlling a machine or a vehicle.
The ARMv8-R architecture also permits coexistence of both virtual memory and protected memory systems on the same processor enabling Operating Systems as Linux to be integrated with Real Time Operating Systems.
In other words, ARM Cortex-R processors are used for computing solutions for embedded system where reliability, high availability and fault tolerance through its CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) are crucial.
Codenamed “Kite,” the new ARMv8-R will basically improve safety and responsiveness of cars, sensor reliability and will offer better communications equipment. All you need to know is that the new ARMv8-R will probably be in the next car you buy and you won’t even notice. His smaller siblings are also present in your washing machine, dish washer, microwave oven, Smart TV, smartphone, sound system, coffee machine, cameras and pretty much anything that has LEDs or LCDs.
