As the infrastructure based on the Arm architecture continues to expand across various markets, the demands on system components are also increasing. This means a significant rise in the number of interrupts (signals sent to the processor by hardware or software, requesting a pause of the current task to handle another task). Arm’s Generic Interrupt … Read more
Differences Between 8-bit/16-bit and ARM Architecture Data Types Data Type 8-bit/16-bit Microcontroller ARM Architecture char 8-bit 8-bit short int 16-bit 16-bit int 16-bit 32-bit Pointer 8/16/24-bit 32-bit float 32-bit 32-bit double 32-bit 64-bit Memory Storage Methods Data Alignment: 8-bit processors typically do not have data alignment issues, while ARM architecture requires consideration of data alignment. … Read more
ver0.1 Introduction In the previous article, we introduced the software architecture of the PSCI mechanism (including virtualization architecture). This architecture may seem simple, but it is not difficult at all, especially if you have a certain foundation. If you find it challenging, you should solidify your basics. In other words, if your boss asks you … Read more
ARM’s dominance in the mobile CPU market is well-known, and in the mobile GPU sector, apart from Apple and Qualcomm, most other chip suppliers, such as MTK, Unisoc, and others, predominantly use Mali GPUs. To date, ARM has released five generations of architectures, each serving 3-4 years. These architectures are Utgard, Midgard, Bifrost, Valhall, and … Read more
There are many smartphone brands we commonly see: Huawei, Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, so many that you might not be able to count them all with your fingers and toes.However, when it comes to the number of mainstream brands for mobile system chips, I can count them on one hand — Qualcomm, Huawei HiSilicon, … Read more
1. What is Embedded Software? Embedded software typically refers to the software that runs on embedded systems. An embedded system is a special type of computer system, usually used for tasks such as control, monitoring, and data processing. Embedded systems generally consist of two parts: hardware and software, where embedded software refers to the programs … Read more
What is a MicrocontrollerFirst, let’s clarify the concept of a microcontroller. A microcontroller is an integrated circuit chip that uses very large scale integration (VLSI) technology to integrate a central processing unit (CPU) with data processing capabilities, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), various I/O ports, an interrupt system, timers/counters, and other functions (which … Read more
ver0.2 Introduction We have begun to touch upon the software layer of power management. In this article, we will delve deeper into the internal architecture of power management software based on the previous discussion of power states. To facilitate more precise management, the hardware nodes of the SoC are divided into different power domains, each … Read more
You cannot just take any processor and plug it into a motherboard; this involves key factors such as the brand of the product and the type of socket. Traditional CPUs require various independent components to function, while SoCs integrate the CPU, GPU, RAM, peripheral interfaces, and more into a single silicon chip. The benefits of … Read more
ver0.1 Introduction In previous articles, we discussed the system architecture of power management based on the ARM architecture, covering the core nodes and mechanisms related to hardware power management. This laid the foundation for introducing the software architecture of power management. Imagine, as a developer, especially one aspiring to advance, one day your manager assigns … Read more