ABSTRACT

CRUSOE is a microprocessor family name introduced by Transmeta Company. Crusoe is unique in that it is the first microprocessor whose instruction set is implemented entirely with software. Software dynamically translates any x86 software to an underlying VLIW processor that contains special hardware support for dynamic translation. The result is a processor that is fully compatible with all x86 software has high performance, but uses very low power consumption. The first two Crusoe processors are the 400MHZ TM3120 for mobile internet devices using mobile Linux and the 700MHZ TM5400 for traditional notebook computers running windows. a new power management mode called long run that can dynamically adjust the processor frequency and voltage on the fly to minimize power consumption for mobile computer systems. An x86 based cpu chip from transmeta that is designed for inter applications and other handheld devices and that require batteries it consumes significantly less power than mobile x86 chips from Intel, AMD and other because it places more of the processing burden on the software. Designed to run windows and Linux application Crusoe uses a software translation layer known as code morphing software that turns x86 instructions sets as well. Crusoe performs in software some of the functionality traditionally implemented in hardware in hardware, resulting in simpler hardware with fewer transistors the relative simplicity of the hardware means that Crusoe consumes less power than other x86 compatible microprocessor running at the same frequency.