[Whitepaper] New Generation RISC Processing Power - Green Technology Engenders New Business Opportunities In recent years, RISC computing-based products such as smart phones and consumer tablet PCs keep launching in the market. So the companies dealing with RISC computing solutions are reaping the full benefits of today s trend. What is the current status of Advantech s efforts in RISC-based computing development? According to statistics, starting from the 1960s, the electronic technology and market core products show significant trend variations every ten years. The figure (figure 1) shows the first generation Micro Frame and Micro Computer products. In the past 20 years, the PC, the notebook and the Internet have brought profound changes in our daily lives. At the same time, the evolution of wireless data transmission technologies, which include Wi-Fi, GPRS, 3G, 4G, WiMAX, LTE (Long Term Evolution) and other wireless networks, has greatly strengthened the link between people and information. This evolution of technology has brought more flexibility and convenience to our lives. Figure 1 In the past few years, the best-selling RISC-based products such as smart phones, tablet PCs, e-books, and Wii have had a tremendous impact on many facets of our everyday lives.
Along with the evolution of RISC computing technology, the functions are getting more efficient and powerful. RISC has already benefited our lives in different ways. What is RISC all about? What is the difference between RISC and x86 architecture? RISC is an acronym for Reduced Instruction Set Computer; it is a microprocessor that is designed to perform a lower number (compared to x86) of computer instructions so that it can operate at a higher speed. Computer technology started over 30 years ago in the early 1970 s. Engineers observed that 80% of computing execution was handled by only 20% of the instructions, which meant that a high number of instructions basically went to waste. Thus, the RISC concept was developed to reduce the size of the instruction set and a number of little-used instructions were removed. Afterwards, several RISC designs emerged in the market. What are the typical characteristics of RISC architecture? RISC architecture makes use of a small set of simplified instructions in an attempt to improve performance. It has a smaller die-size that requires fewer transistors. They can be designed faster because the simpler RISC-based processor requires less design and application programming effort, and offers lower design costs. But low-cost, performance-improving RISC technology is not without its drawbacks. Since the instruction set of RISC processor is reduced, some functions are not supported and performance is reduced as well. Thus, previous RISC products are not suitable for implementation on general-purpose computing core platform. Here, I would like to use some simple ideas to help everyone have a clear picture of RISC product features. Because the instruction set is reduced, it simplifies the CPU architecture and makes the chip die size smaller, with less power consumption per chip, and a higher production quantity per wafer. That s why the RISC solution has the general advantages of low-cost and power-savings. Since the instruction set has been reduced, RISC-based products have performance limitations and in the past were not suitable for use in general applications. Currently, RISC has three major IP suppliers - ARM, MIPS & PowerPC. Each has its own characteristics and flexibility. PowerPC is a standard RISC architecture developed by the IBM, Motorola, and Apple alliance known as AIM. It was originally intended for personal computers, but later on became popular as an embedded and high-performance processor. Everybody knew very well that the heart of Apple's Power Mac G5 was IBM's PowerPC G5 CPU. Back then, the Power MAC G5 was touted by Apple as the fastest personal computer ever built. The second most common RISC microprocessor is the MIPS. After being acquired by Silicon Graphics, MIPS technology has been widely used in mobile consumer electronics, digital entertainment, wired and wireless communications, and networking. Last, but not least is
ARM, the most successful RISC. ARM targets embedded and low-power segments, and the low end PC market. The relative simplicity of ARM processors makes them suitable for low-power applications. This has made them dominant in the mobile and embedded electronics market. ARM may be aiming to scale up to the laptop market, then desktops, and in the future, servers. What are the attributes that made ARM a success in the market? After much thought and consideration, there are three major points: Performance grew a dramatic 10 times within a few years. The continuous optimization approach achieved ever lower power consumption. Full software compatibility was and is preserved even for future enhancements. The trend-setting technology (figure 2) in the ARM CPU core started from the ARM7 TM and progressed to ARM9 TM and ARM11 TM, on up to the 2008 Cortex TM series. Products based on these processors have enjoyed an enthusiastic market reception. By any measure, the Cortex TM is a masterpiece; it is designed around the most advanced, high efficiency, multi-issue superscalar, out-of-order, speculating 8-stage pipeline, and it targets consumer, networking, enterprise, and mobile applications.
Figure 2 Even with its expanding functionality, increasing number of processor cores, and expanded performance, ARM managed to maintain its power efficiency. Just look at IPad2; it provides the best possible performance and still delivers the battery life that users demand. ARM s software development is nearly perfect. It works with an increasing number of software providers targeting a variety of applications. It is actually the key to RISC solutions. I wonder if ARM is grateful to Google? But I personally feel that the RISC world is undergoing a rapid evolution driven in part by Google. The biggest news this year is that Microsoft s ARM-based version of Windows, which targets tablets, is still under development. It can be expected that both Microsoft and Google are aggressively mounting similar campaigns, and the rivalry between these companies is, with good cause, growing more combative: the result will likely shape the future of competition in computing and the way people use information technology. But RISC will have to face software compatibilities, support issues and considerable challenges here. At the beginning of the 21 st century, Advantech had already started implementing RISC architecture in its Intel, Cirrus, Freescale and TI solutions. From ARM9 TM, ARM11 TM, Cortex TM -A8, on up through Cortex TM -A9, and Cortex TM -A15, Advantech has continuously developed RISC-based industrial computing platforms. In general, each RISC SoC vendor developed a reference board that can be matched with the new RISC SoC chip. But usually, Advantech cannot convert a vendor s reference board design directly into its product for release to industry users. The main reason is that the standard of the previous platform provided by the RISC SoC vendor was unsatisfactory in terms of component life, electrical specification, heat resistance, price, and other important features. Therefore, Advantech has needed to examine the overall construction, including the replacement of components, driver porting, and other essential industrial functions, together with Advantech s own SUSI API service integration that supports a variety of applications in various industrial RISC products. You may notice that Advantech has not been developing just any RISC-based products, but has been and is developing different products that are ideally suited to and can be utilized with the RISC core platform. Advantech guarantees to provide a quality foundation as well as conforming with the demands of each industrial RISC product. We also provide ample integration of hardware and software that assists various partners in implementing RISC product solutions that help achieve the positive spirit of Time to Profit. What are Advantech s RISC computing solutions? Currently, Advantech provides three types of services to its partners:
RISC core computer modules RISC single board computers RISC design support services The RTX (RISC Technology extended) COM architecture has been defined by Advantech product experience in recent years. RTX integrates CPU, RAM, Flash, RTC, and Watchdog timer computing kernel within its 68mm x 68mm, and also SATA, PCI Express, Ethernet, USB, UART, LCD, HDMI, Audio, SD, I 2 C, etc. rich interfaces all are integrated into the RTX form factor. The user need only design the power circuit, and necessary I/O connector on their carrier board to complete their own RISC platform, saving product development schedule, human resources, and costs. The overall specifications and quality of Advantech s RTX architecture was not achieved in an overnight process. Advantech s years of project experience and consideration of signal quality, cost structure, and production quality all work together to define RTX form factor features as listed in the paragraphs below; product familiarity, price markup, and level of stability were all carefully considered before Advantech decided to begin developing the RTX specification. Integration of B2B Connector Architecture. The combination of four B2B connectors plus four locking screws to ensure board stability, as well as superior tolerance to environmental stresses including shock and vibration, and a high degree of reliability for a long time durability. 1.6mm PCB thickness provides good product strength. Some computer modules have limited connectors, and usually have thin PCBs. When PCB material is too thin, it can flex and either crack the thin traces or break solder joints that connect to heavy parts. Using B2B connectors on the PCB helps reduce limitations and optimize support for more components. Better signal quality by buffer/level shift set. The voltage and signal stability of a computer module has always been a concern. With regards to the quality of the signal, Advantech applies a level shifter/buffer in the I/O circuits to control the current and improved signal quality. The RTX solution is based on Advantech's long and varied experience in industrial applications; now RTX provides a standard quality industrial platform. Advantech also provides RISC Single Board Computers (SBCs) that help designers facilitate the RISC system-level design. Advantech RISC SBCs provide the following benefits, already designed in.
Thin product size. Reduced product size allows users to easily integrate and implement into their structures. Wide operating temperatures. Wide range temperature support from -40 ~ 85 C improves quality and reliability, and it is designed in, from component specs on up, not merely implemented via a culling process. Rich I/O interfaces. Various hardware interfaces allow for expandability including 5 UARTs, 4 USBs, Ethernet, LCD/Touch/Audio interface, and SPI/I2C/GPIO. Together with 2-Watt low-power consumption and 2D/3D image processing, users can utilize the RISC single board computer in a wide array of applications such as digital signage, POS or other more rigid user scenarios such as automotive and sea navigation equipment. In addition to providing products, Advantech also offers further design assistance among its services. We help customers design their system products so they take full advantage of our RISC computer modules. We call it Design-In Service. Our services are as follows: 1. Spec Define/Review Consultant Service 2 Design Documentation Release 3 Schematic Review Service 4 Layout Review Service 5 S/W Integration Service 6 Product Debugging Service 7 System Integration Consultant Service 8 Production Service Priority one is to help customers achieve the most advantageous Time-To-Profit Advantech also offers a complete selection of customized services to meet users needs. Starting from system specification to product development; Advantech provides better standards and services to various industries including all phases of product planning, design, production, as well as quality control and management systems. Currently, Advantech offers countless internal and external RISC core product applications for different markets. These applications include industrial control, home automation, automotive applications, medical products and digital signage applications. As an industrial RISC solution provider, Advantech works with customers, vendors, and ecosystem partners to provide industrial-grade RISC computing solutions and design services to achieve faster time-to-market. We help to improve lives by building an intelligent planet.