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New-Tech Magazine Europe l 45
performance approaching that of
smartphones and laptops, which
of course Cortex-A processors can
deliver.
The rich embedded market is already
well established. According to VDC
estimates, ARM based devices
occupy over 70% market share in
the rich embedded segment (SoCs).
Just like the embedded market as a
whole, the rich embedded market is
extremely diverse. There are many
use cases, some high performance
and others more cost and power
sensitive. Let’s look at a few
based Single Board Computers
(SBCs) are available in various
performance and cost points. Rich
operating systems, open source
and proprietary, have become more
accessible, and this has opened up
embedded development to a wider
range of developers. The software
ecosystem for Cortex-A processor
also includes support from the
leading RTOS and embedded tools
vendors. Their interest in Cortex-A
is driven by demand from their
customers, who want to take
advantage of Cortex-A performance,
compatibility, wide availability, and
the benefits of multiple suppliers
and price/performance points.
Much has been said lately about 64-
bit, which is driving in smartphone
and open compute markets,
however in embedded the majority
of the software ecosystem is focused
on 32-bit software. While there are
some embedded applications that
are moving to 64-bit, like high-end
SBCs, NAS, and ADAS systems,
many embedded applications are
sticking with 32-bit to keep costs
and complexity low. We can expect
a significant number of embedded
devices to remain 32-bit for the
foreseeable future.
Highlights of Cortex-A32
Processor
We built the Cortex-A32 for
embedded, first and foremost.
Embedded is an exciting market and
wanted to continue to processors
that accelerate the innovation in this
market. So, what benefits does the
Cortex-A32 processor offer for rich
embedded?
examples - industrial devices, smart
watches, smart glasses, and a whole
range of products for the home -
from thermostats to media hubs.
These devices all use Cortex-A, and
deliver a richer experience to users.
The rich embedded market is
growing rapidly, fueled by two key
drivers:
a wide choice of affordable silicon
platforms delivering low cost, and
high performance
the largest rich embedded
software ecosystem
Today, more than 100 Cortex-A