All eyes interested in what’s next in chips are on the Hot Chips 96 event in Palo Alto this week, and the event gave Advanced RISC Machines Ltd of Cambridge, UK the chance to preview its ARM810 RISC, which is designed to come between the ARM7 family and the high-end StrongARM parts. The ARM810 has 8Kb cache but draws only 500mW at 3.3V, which Advanced reckons makes it just the thing for cost-sensitive embedded applications such as digital television sets, Personal Digital Assistants and Network Computers – the sort of things the ARM700 family has been used for. Indeed the ARM810 is already available from VLSI Technology Inc and announcements from other licensees are expected shortly. Like its predecessor, the fully static ARM810 is available as a stand-alone microprocessor or as an embedded core within an application specific design. It has a five-stage pipeline, up from three for the ARM7, and executes an instruction on average every 1.43 cycles, down from one every 1.76. Samples are available now with volume production from VLSI Technology set for November 1996 at $25 a time when you order thousands.
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