Naming Conventions for ARM

• Example: ARM7TDMI
ARM CORTEX
• Latest in ARM is cortex series
• Based on architecture V7 version:

• THUMB-2 technology (Both 16 and 32 bit supported)

• No need to switch between ARM and THUMB instruction set

• Cortex has well defined profile for different application areas:

• A
• R
• M
Cortex Profiles
• A profile:
• For High End applications in Embedded Systems with modern OS.
(e.g. Android)
• ARMv7-A architecture
• Used in Mobile phones and Video Systems
• R Profile:
• For high end application on systems with Real time capabilities
• ARMv7-R architecture
• Used in safety critical systems
• M profile:
• Designed for Core embedded microcontroller type systems
• ARMv7-M architecture
• Used in control applications
Advanced Features :
• Data bus width :
• 32 bit data bus
• 32 bit read/write in 1 cycle
• Computational capability:
• RISC Approach provides good computations
• RISC architecture with few CISC add-ons
• Low Power:
• Power saving
• Operates at low clock frequencies
• 60MHz to 1 GHz
Advanced Features :
• Multiple Register Instructions :
• Data processing with registers mostly
• Processing instructions do not use addressing modes that uses
one operand in memory.
• But, instructions for loading and storing data to registers.

• DSP Enhancement:
• Additional DSP features
Pipelining :
• Dividing instruction processing in sub-stages
• 3 Stage pipeline: (ARM-7)
• Fetch – Decode – Execute
• 5 Stage Pipeline: (ARM-9)
• Fetch – Decode – Execute – Buffer - Write
• (ARM-10) – 6 stage pipeline

• Drawback:
• Problem with branch instructions
• Due to sequence change some instructions are discarded
• Loss of data, computation time
• Higher penalty with more stages