TI announces OMAP5 with Dual ARM Cortex A15 Cores & more! (was "ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5")
 

If you haven't already seen this:

ARM Delivers The Internet Everywhere With Most Power-Efficient and Cost-Effective Multicore Processor
http://www.arm.com/news/26196.html

ARM announces the first mobile multicore processor - Cortex-A5
http://www.gsmarena.com/arm_announce...-news-1200.php

Could we see devices with these from Nokia in 2010? Which one would be the first to sport these? I mean, the mobile computers or notebooks?

What do you think?

EDIT: Changing the title!

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

Probably not, but why would you? From reading Ars Techina it seems they are a step lower than the current Cortex A8. Their benefit is being more power efficient, not faster or even more efficient.

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

You are right. I just got confused.
Speed really kills!!

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

multi-core makes multi-tasking better :)

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

technically A9 was the first ARM multi-core design (in that it could be used as a single core, or up to 4 cores, depending on what the licensee wanted)...

A5 can basically be seen as ARM's celeron/duron variant, and we will probably see a lot of it in cheap consumer devices in the next years.

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

Personally I like TI's OMAP4440 dual core ARM Cortex-A9's clocked at over 1ghz. You want fast for netbooks and phones? This is the next one. Who wants to start a rumor of Nokia using this in the next wave of Maemo devices? :P

And as for the question netbooks or phones.. Honestly I think this will spawn a new idea.. Phones that plug into bases and become linux powered nettops. With a typical KDE or Gnome interface made for a mouse and keyboard.

Imagine sticking your work laptop in your pocket and when you get on the metro emailing the report you just finished before leaving work over the 4G internets, and then replying to everyone's responses to the report on a full monitor and keyboard once you got home. I think that would be AWESOME :D

Then again the OMAP4440 is also more then capable of 1080p decoding/encoding, you could just use it for recording/editing/playing a lot of movies :P

And the PowerVR 540 chip it uses is also really powerful for ARM based gaming, perhaps it'll work for something a little closer to crysis... Then again that is *really* getting ahead of myself... Nice dream though.. :)

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

According to the Ars Technica article Laughing Man is probably referring to, these Cortex A5 chips won't be out until 2011, i.e. they're 1½-2. years away.

If I understand this correctly they are sort of poor man's A8 which can run the visual fluff most system development is heading towards, but only barely. Something like Mer (poor man's Maemo 5, maybe even Maemo 6) might work well on these A5's, if only Mer was more actively developed and pushed to/adopted by ODMs other than Nokia (who've already moved on...).

Too bad NVIDIA (with their Tegra, and generally with their proprietary approach) is too deep in microsoft's pocket to promote the open platforms the low-cost and low-power ARM CPUs like the Cortex A5 would be ideal for: better (in terms of size, cost and power requirements) than N8x0 class companion devices.

Off topic perhaps, but I find it unfortunate that Nokia stopped pursuing the (mobile phone) companion device strategy, which would have played into their strengths (inexpensive entry to market -> creation of bigger Maemo ecosystem, handsets & batteries etc.). Nokia's Maemo 5+ may be cool, but Android is being pushed by a growing number of manufacturers.

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

been playing with such a concept in my head for years now, mostly wondering if a mobile friendly interface can scale upwards (and android and maemo in current incarnation would seems to indicate so, if one can replace some gestures with hotkeys).

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

i suspect nokia listened to the number of people that wanted a single device to carry, rather then 2+ (even if the right setup of protocols, radios and wires could allow one to carry multiple devices with one set of headphones and data connection).

i guess our basic problem right now is that our fashion have not kept up with our technology. As long as it seen as unfashionable for a guy to carry a bag, and we do not have clothes of the rack that makes it easy to carry multiple devices without looking like one is going to war/wilderness, convergence will stay king (and i suspect the marketing deps loves it also, as extra hardware features are a easier upsell then software features).

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

Well I didn't/wouldn't advocate abandoning the N9xx "convergence" efforts, but instead creating synergistic (uh), affordable and ideally multi-user add-on (companion device) to the mainstream Nokia phones to attract people to choose the Maemo platform instead of dumping Nokia phones in droves and moving totally to Apple's closed garden.

Any option that takes wind from iApple's' sails and breathes life into Maemo should be considered, and seriously.

Cortex A5-based WIFI/BT/USB (with GPRS/3G+ options) connected tablet-devices could be great especially in developing countries (the majority of world's population and where Nokia still remains top dog for now) with localized and slimmed down Mer/Maemo.

Being multi-user the device could be used by families (from living rooms to car trips...) or other small communities which desire internet connectivity but don't yet have US$500 to blow on a single single-user phone-tablet but would buy a sub-$200 tablet as companion to their sub-$100 phones. My wife likes to carry her slim and light Nokia phone everywhere, but occasionally she wanted to bring the (now-defunct) tablet along. A slimmer and slightly more powerful tablet with longer battery life would be perfect for her, and me too. Esp. if the Maemo/Mer apps keep maturing and the proprietary ones get an occasional update every year or three.

Back in the early days of Mac OS, M$ didn't take over the PC market because their bean counters were telling them to target the high-end only due to higher margins...

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

From what I read its a fully binary compatible 'low end' Cortex A8/A9. On a netbook you want the 'high end' ARM; ie. Cortex A8/A9.

That it is binary compatible is very useful for having it part of your product line if you already have Cortex A8/A9 products. Porting will then be easier, and it will be easier to manage different firmware versions.

So we will see it in use rather in mobile (smart)phones since its successor of ARM926EJ-S and ARM11 which are widely used on mobile (smart)phones. Just think of succesor of N97 being N98 with Cortex A5. Although my source says 'the first devices shipping with Cortex A5 will ship probably in 2011' I don't see this backed up with arguments. It would not surprise me a successor of N97 would sport a Cortex A5, and come out say 2nd part of 2010 (N97 not having Cortex A? was one reason I not bought it). Or, such successor would use Cortex A8/A9 like N900, with the next device in the hierarchy having Cortex A5. In any case, this will replace the mid-range eventually. So succesors of devices like E-Series and N-Series will contain these eventually.

So, in short, I'd say: high-end products get A8/A9, mid-range A5. Low-range runs S40 (in Nokia's case) on cheapest stuff avail; is totally different OS so not matter to S60's E-Series and N-Series. Before that maybe the high-end products get A5 and rest stays as-is, but maybe transition to whole Cortex line is easier to manage, skipping interim path. Then you could say 2011 makes sense.

...but I don't know... not an expert in this regard... not an analyst :rolleyes: rather thinking out loud rather.. :)

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

I am not convinced that the Android transition from phone to netbook is going well. I think Moblin also has a chance in that market, as does even Mer. I don't think that OEM's have decided on an OS yet really, and Android is getting some bad reviews as it scales up.

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

now i got reminded of the simputer that some company in india made...

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

So (mobile companion) tablets are a no-starter because of the 2002 vintage Simputer effort? Oh goodie...

Don't worry though, Nokia seems very unlikely to pursue this idea further and from Maemo's point of view the Cortex A5 belongs in the category of uninteresting low-end Maemo competitors (incl. Symbian phones).

Personally I hope that some other firm(s) would do a better N8x0 using some open OS rather than wince.

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

Related news: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4153/t...cortex-a15-soc

OMAP5 with dual Arm Cortex 15 cores with each core running at 2GHz and 2MB L2 Cache. It's a 28nm SoC btw!

TI says this will go to production in 2nd half of 2011 and into devices by 2nd half of 2012.

Day-by-day, the mobile power is growing enormous and so are the possibilities they provide. Convergence is the key.

Oh my MeeGo, where are you?

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

heh, that thing is a beast. Not only two A15 cores, but also two M4, a powervr sgx544, c64x dsp, iva-hd video accelerator, a TI made 2D graphics core and a image signal processor. 9 "cores" in total.

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

ARM Cortex A15=Raw Power, seriously, no other processor can outrun the big "A"

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

Absolutely, that things is a beast! It probably would do everything that we can imagine now.
However, my other wish still remains! Video line-in and dual-sim. Bring it on Nokia!

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

Please change the Title of the thread.

You're missleading by "Cortex-A5 Multicores"

Re: ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5
 

Actually, I have been trying to figure out how to change the title from the time I added my post here today.

Looks like, I can edit the first post in this thread and change the title there. I did that but for some reason the updated title is still not getting reflected. Does changing the thread title need someone to approve?

I have edited the title to "TI announces OMAP5 with Dual ARM Cortex A15 Cores & more! (was "ARM announces multi-core processor - Cortex-A5")"