ARM announces processor optimization pack product family for Cortex-A9 processor

CAMBRIDGE, UK: ARM announced the immediate availability of the ARM Cortex-A9 Processor Optimization Packs (POPs). Processor Optimization Packs leverage ARM Artisan® physical IP to enable customers to achieve technology leading performance or power targets on their Cortex-A9 implementations in the shortest time to market.

A silicon-proven POP is available now TSMC 40nm G process technology. The Cortex-A9 POP on TSMC 40nm LP process technology will be available to customers in January 2011.

The Cortex-A9 Processor Optimization Packages contain three elements: ARM Artisan optimized logic and memory physical IP for a specific process technology, supported by implementation knowledge and ARM benchmarking. Combined together the POP allows SoC designers to optimize Cortex-A9 designs for maximum performance, lowest power or to develop customized solutions balancing power and performance for their specific application.

“The combination of the ARM Cortex processor IP and Artisan physical IP produces SoC implementations with outstanding performance and at a fraction of the time it would have taken our engineering team,” said Vince Zhou, general manager, Nufront System Chip Division. “The ability to achieve technology leading performance in short time-to-market through the adoption of silicon-proven ARM Processor Optimization Packs will become a strong competitive advantage.”

A performance-optimized implementation using the Cortex-A9 POP on TSMC 40nm G process delivers up to 1.71 GHz performance under worst case conditions. The 40nm LP POP will deliver up to 1.0 GHz performance in worst case conditions.

“The ARM Physical IP division has been investing heavily in delivering highly tuned solutions at advanced process nodes, especially targeting ARM core SoCs,” explained Simon Segars, executive vice president and general manager, ARM Physical IP division. “Through our highly optimized ARM Artisan physical IP, we are enabling the world’s fastest ARM cores on the most important process nodes being used in the industry whilst also reducing risk and improving time to market.”

“ARM’s technology leading Cortex processors and Processor Optimization Packs with Artisan physical IP are co-developed in a deeply collaborative methodology, forming a unique value proposition that only ARM can deliver” explained Mike Inglis, executive vice president and general manager, ARM Processor Division. “We believe this combination will give our customers unique solutions to achieve advanced implementations of ARM-based systems.”

As an additional way for customers to access the POP, ARM also offers hard macro implementations for the 40nm G performance and power-optimized implementations, embedding the same optimizations contained in the Processor Optimization Pack.