The future of the computer and communications industries is converging on mobile information appliances - phones, PDAs, laptops and other devices. The ARM is at the heart of this trend, leading the way in system-on-chip (SoC) development and becoming the processor core of choice for many embedded applications.
System-on-chip technology is changing the way we use computers, but it also sets designers the very challenging problem of getting a complex SoC design right first time. ARM System-on-Chip Architecture introduces the concepts and methodologies employed in designing a system-on-chip based around a microprocessor core, and in designing the core itself. Extensive illustrations, based on the ARM, give practical substance to the design principles set out in the book, reinforcing the reader's understanding of how and why SoCs and microprocessors are designed as they are.
ARM System-on-Chip Architecture:
- presents and discusses the major issues of system-on-chip design, including memory hierarchy, caches, memory management, on-chip buses, on-chip debug and production test
- provides an overview of the ARM processor family, enabling the reader to decide which ARM is best for the job in hand
- describes the ARM and Thumb programming models, enabling the designer to begin to develop applications
- covers all the latest ARM products and developments, including StrongARM, the ARM9 and ARM10 series of cores, and the ARM-based SoC components at the heart of Ericsson's Bluetooth technology, the Psion Series 5 PDA and Samsung's SGH2400 GSM handset
- includes details on the AMULET asynchronous ARM cores and the AMULET3H asynchronous SoC subsystem
ARM System-on-Chip Architecture is an essential handbook for system-on-chip designers using ARM processor cores and engineers working with the ARM. It can also be used as a course text for undergraduate and masters students of computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering.
This book was written for professional engineers who need to get up to speed on the ARM microprocessor quickly, and for students who need a reference text for a course on ARM architecture and/or programming.
It complements the ARM datasheets and other technical documentation by providing more context and explanatory material - the datasheets give the 'what' and 'how' of the ARM technology, whereas this book explains 'why' the technology is as it is.
The ARM is widely used in system-on-chip designs as the processing 'engine' at the heart of the system. It is at the forefront of the new wave of mobile systems (mobile phones, personal organisers, digital cameras, MP3 players...) and industrial demand for people with experience in ARM-based hardware and software design experience is very high.
