Intel Extends x86 Architecture into SoC Arena

Progressing the Atom

The Intel Atom processor might be ruling the roost where ultra portable power-efficient mobile computing is needed such as the current popular netbook segment and has even spawned a desktop equivalent, the nettop machine. However popular they may be in the Internet-circle now, these consumer options are just addressing a very small but growing niche user group. The introduction of the Atom is just beginning for this low-powered Intel architecture processor.

Intel has been planning on penetrating the MID and Handheld market segment with the Atom microprocessor, but the CPU is just one part of the equation in the platform. Consider this:- At the moment for any Intel system, be it a server or right down to the netbook/UMPC segment, require 3 major components. They are the CPU, MCH and ICH. Other specialized needs would require yet another dedicated IC like security management. All this will require a lot of PCB real estate and each has varying power requirements too. What we need here is a system-on-chip (SoC) solution. So it's no wonder Intel hasn't made the jump into these segments yet with the Atom.

If you recall sometime ago, Intel was actually supplying the handheld market with its XScale processors. However couple of years back, Intel sold off this architecture to Marvell. So why is Intel trying to return to a segment that it once had a foothold? The simple answer is this:- they dumped a proprietary architecture to streamline engineering resources and focused on the x86 architecture for all their processors in recognition of this ISA's excellent hardware/software support and interoperability (besides the enterprise-level Itaniums of course). Now with the purposeful designed Atom processor that has all the right traits and with the help of Moore's law and the engineers at Intel, Intel will attempt to re-penetrate this segment in the near future. But it's a segment that's already dominated by several players, so we'll have to wait and find out how if Intel's faith in the x86 architecture alone can help them regain and carve themselves a market.

In the process of getting there, today Intel announced their first SoC product with the Intel EP80579 Integrated Processor family (formerly codename Tolapi) targeted squarely at the embedded applications market such as security, communications, storage and industrial products. This is quite a broad field with several entrenched competitors with the likes of Samsung's ARM processors, Texas Instruments and other specialized processors. But because of this large market potential and Intel's already current presence via its other embedded solutions, Intel chose to make a stab in this arena to offer an up-to-date offering which wouldn't require as many complex subsystems as a normal PC and showcase that it can offer a Soc-style x86 solution with specialized and customizable accelerators.

x86 Architecture Hits SoC

Based on an Atom-like processing core, the EP80579 Integrated Processor family combines the traditional platform elements such as incorporating a memory controller hub, I/O controller hub and even has an FSB attached FPGA hardware modules on certain variants which Intel dubs as their QuickAssist Technology. The latter is feature that Intel can rely upon to deploy their processors in various applications instead of developing specialized processors for each application specific requirement or relying on the general processing core which would otherwise not have been speedy enough to process the required algorithms. Some uses of the QuickAssist Technology are to accelerate security processing and signals processing among others.

Knowing that the Atom processor fares in the same performance ballpark of the original Pentium M processor, the Intel EP80579 Integrated Processor family should stack up quite similarly too. What's interesting to note though is that this SoC solution consumes up to 45% less footprint of a Pentium M platform. This isn't surprising when you figure that four major functional units are enrolled into one chip, which would greatly promote small form factor applications. It also consumes up to 34% less power in comparison as it draws anywhere between 11 to 21 watts at clock speeds ranging from 600MHz to 1.2GHz.

In the end, to most consumers, the Intel EP80579 Integrated Processor family wouldn't mean much because it's not something you would actually find in any PC system of any sort because of its embedded applications design nature. Also, without an integrated graphics subsystem, this SoC part isn't much use to most consumer-related products. However what's significant about it is that an x86 SoC part based on the Intel Atom processing core has debuted and you can expect this mini milestone to bring more good news in other fields shortly.

For the rest of us, keep a look out for the second-generation UMPC chipset codenamed Poulsbo, which will also find its way on some netbooks as well quite soon. The current chipset (mostly the 945GME/GMS/GSE variants) paired with the Atom in netbooks are quite frankly not optimized enough for the platform. The Poulsbo isn't an SoC part, but it is a single-chip System Controller Hub (SCH) that contains the most relevant functions of the Northbridge, Southbridge and a third-party developed graphics engine. Besides being a more leaner chipset that accompanies the Atom processor, the graphics capabilities will include DirectX 9 and OpenGL compatible processing, 400M pixels/sec peak fill rate and is capable of HD decoding up to 1080i. This is probably just what the netbooks and UMPCs require to handle entertainment needs better than the current solutions.

Further out on the next hop, the next generation Centrino Atom platform codenamed Moorestown will feature Lincroft, a full SoC chip that integrates the 45nm Silverthorne core (Atom) with graphics, video and memory controller on a single chip. But, we're still not at the Platform on a Chip (PoC) stage yet, as Lincroft will have to be paired with an I/O Hub still (codenamed Langwell). Still, the overall size of the PCB for the that Intel confidently proclaims that this will enable their first breakthrough at the handheld market and possibly a good start for MIDs (if consumers think they can cope with yet more segmentation or the lack-of for these new fangled devices).

The miniaturization scene has never more thriving than now and with the rapid progress of developing nations and the globalization phenomenon, everything's looking rosier then ever now (except for AMD who unfortunately seems to be still bleeding).

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