ARM architecture is a low-power instruction set architecture developed by UK-based ARM Holdings. It originated in 1983 for Acorn Computers’ personal computers and later transformed into Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. and ARM Holdings. ARM-based CPUs are used in mobile phones, PDAs, portable media players, and calculators.
ARM architecture refers to an instruction set architecture (ISA) that UK-based semiconductor manufacturer ARM Holdings, plc. develop. The technology is best known for its application on processors, or central processing units (CPUs), with low power consumption or high energy efficiency. It is also designed with the concept of instruction set reduction (RISC), which means that it strives to optimize processor performance by simplifying instructions for faster execution. ARM-based CPUs, in particular, rely on single-cycle execution.
The English computer company Acorn Computers originated the ARM architecture in October 1983 when it initiated the Acorn RISC Machine project to make a more advanced processor for its business-oriented personal computers (PCs). This was mainly because the MOS 6502 technology, an 8-bit processor popular for its relatively low cost, was too weak to handle certain computer features such as a graphics-based user interface.
The Acorn Archimedes, released in 1987, was the first computer featuring an ARM-based CPU. The second iteration, ARM2, is known to outperform the Intel 80286 or iAPX 286. This was a processor from semiconductor company Intel Corp. and used on International Business Machines’ IBM Personal Computer AT (IBM PC/AT). The success of ARM-based processors led to the transformation of the company into Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. in 1990, then ARM Holdings in 1998.
The ARM architecture includes an orthogonal instruction set. Although the term orthogonal is used for something composed of right angles, in computing terminology, it is used to refer to a data object, in this case an ISA, that functions without affecting others or is statistically independent. The ARM architecture uses 32 bits, which is the maximum data size it can accommodate. More specifically, each processor using the instruction set has 16 32-bit registers, which are tiny units of storage that provide high-speed access to data instead of allowing the CPU to get it from somewhere else at a slower rate.
Ironically, the ARM architecture was initially designed for PCs. Instead, the x86 instruction set, which traces its origins to Intel’s 8086, or iAPX86, dominated the market in the late 1990s. Thus, IBM PC-compatible computers, as well as Apple’s Macintosh computers, have x86 CPUs from companies such as Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).
Meanwhile, ARM moved to smaller electronic devices, ideal for the technology’s streamlined executions and low power consumption. In 2009, over 90% of all mobile phones contained an ARM-based processor. Other devices that use ARM architecture for their CPUs include personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable media players, and calculators.
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