Quad core iPhones? Not so fast!

Fri, 01/09/2009 - 11:43am — Dave Park

I like reading the rumors of a quad core iPhone coming soon, but I don't really believe them. If we ignore the problems with ARM's roadmap, and quad core Cortex processors in 2009, there are still many other issues that ruin the party. If there was an imaginary iPhone with a quad core ARM, it would need amazing power efficiency.

Instead of the tens of watts drawn by the Atom and supporting chipset, we're looking at something like a single watt using currently available ARM cores. Going by ARM's figures for their 2010 products, we can see 4 cores drawing 10 mw each (40 mw) in "average" use, and nothing in sleep states. However, the graphics chip on this device has to be very efficient too. nVidia, who have been ARM-licensees since 2005, have done wonders with their Tegra line, particularly in terms of battery life. Apple has licensed Imagination's ultra-low-power graphics processor to embed into this new device, and it is likely superior to nVidia's Tegra 650.

The problem is that it will take time for Apple's team at PA Semi to refine their ARM cores, incorporate a highly advanced graphics block, add in the usual cellphone, bluetooth and miscellaneous "stuff" that goes together to make a cellphone. Shoe-horning the contents of five or six discrete ICs into a single die, with groundbreaking power consumption, takes time.

Then you have to make engineering samples and qualify them, design the phone hardware, port the OS, qualify those, then arrange production. Remember this is based around a core component that isn't expected to appear even as engineering samples until late 2009.

The Cortex-A9 isn't a requirement, but it is common to all the rumors. ARM11 cores would have similar throughput with a power efficiency penalty. The risk there is that the chip will draw too much power. Doubling the power doubles the size of the battery to maintain the same standby time.

From the hardware point of view, the final rule of the semiconductor business is that first you get it to work, then you get it to work fast, and then you make it power efficient by evolving the fabrication process.

Apple is a design company. When you look at the iPhone one thing is clear: they aim for capable hardware, and implement all the features they want in software. It is obvious they are developing a general purpose hardware platform with capabilities well beyond the needs of even the most powerful cell phone. It seems smart for them to take the longer view and invest the time to come to market with a well-developed platform that has multiple uses, which leads into the other rumors and discussions of games platforms and convergence devices.

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Comments

The A9 is multi-core

Fri, 01/09/2009 - 2:03pm — Pat (not verified)

The A9 is multi-core capable. From 1-4 core CPU and GPU /Floating Point Core. ARM does not build the Core they do reference designs and sell the IP to companies like TI, Samsung, Apple. The A9 design was released in Oct 07. Time to market would be about 18M to 2 Yrs. Which means it is entirely possible to produce an A9 core SOC in 2nd Half 09 when you have 150 engineers to work the project. I doubt Apple would use 4 cores. More likely 2 CPU cores based on ARM Cortex and a GPU core from PowerVR. Throw in the new battery technology from the Mac Book Pro 17" and 2nd half of this year is looking good for Iphone generation 3.

The design spec white paper

Fri, 01/09/2009 - 2:30pm — Dave Park

The design spec white paper was published then, but the core design/mask sets were not released. The performance specs on ARM's roadmap depend on general availability of newer fab processes. How soon Apple gets access to this information depends on which license Apple has with ARM, and that's something we don't know.

Of course, this is presuming they want to use that specific core. If they use an ARM11 or A8 core, those designs are readily available and fabable right now.

new battery technology from the Mac Book Pro 17"

Fri, 01/09/2009 - 3:06pm — sjs (not verified)

I don't think the battery technology is new. I wonder if the lithium polymer is not what's already in the iPhone?

Dave Here is a Cadence press

Fri, 01/09/2009 - 3:14pm — Pat (not verified)

Dave
Here is a Cadence press release from April 29 2008 on reference design. The design is for 1-4 cores on a 65 NM process. They are still working on a 45NM design process. I am sure Apple can use SAMSUNG's 65 NM process for fabrication

SAN JOSE, CA, Apr 29 (MARKET WIRE) --
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDNS) today announced the immediate availability of multiple, silicon-ready RTL to GDSII implementation flows based on the Cadence(R) Encounter(R) digital IC design platform, for the ARM(R) Cortex(TM)-A9 processor. The flows are available for three configurations of the ARM Cortex-A9 processor: single core, dual Cortex-A9 MPCore(TM) multicore processor and quad Cortex-A9 MPCore(TM) multicore processor. Proven to enable ARM Cortex-A9 processor performance of up to 800MHz (production-margined at worst casePVTconditions), these reference methodologies offer time-to-market savings forcustomers designing for high performance within tight power constraints fornext-generation devices such as smart phones, mobile internet devices, consumer electronics, automotive infotainment, networking and other embedded and enterprise devices.

ARM and Cadence jointly developed and tested these silicon-ready reference methodologies using ARM Artisan(R) physical IP targeted at a 65-nanometer process. These reference methodologies use the entire Encounter design flow from synthesis, test, and formal verification, to physical implementation and final
sign-off,
including concurrent static and dynamic power reduction and manufacturing-aware,
rule-and-model-based yield optimization.

The reference methodologies represent what engineers can expect while
doingactual tapeouts, including the necessary steps for silicon-ready design,
such as
timing analysis for on-chip variation (OCV), clock uncertainty and signal
integrity (SI); power-reduction techniques to save both static and dynamic
power; and yield optimization techniques such as preferred metal fill,
multi-cut vias, wire spreading and lithographic hot-spot prevention.

The Cadence reference methodology for the Cortex-A9 processor that was
produced from the ARM and Cadence collaboration will be well received by
industry-leading companies who are deploying these reference methodologies and
implementing designs using a Cortex-A9 processor with an automated, fully
integrated
design flow.

"As a leader in the design of next-generation devices, NEC Electronics
Europe
applauds the continuing close collaboration between ARM and Cadence. These
reference methodologies are an invaluable part of our design process," said
Thomas Langfermann, senior manager of design services for NEC Electronics
Europe. "The robust validation methodology incorporated in the silicon-ready
flow will improve predictability and reduce our time to market."

"ARM and Cadence are collaborating to provide silicon-ready reference
methodologies that can be quickly deployed by engineering teams seeking predictable design flows that deliver superior quality of silicon," said Chi-Ping Hsu, corporate vice president of Power Forward and general manager of IC Digital at Cadence. "The combination of the Encounter advanced technologies and the ARM Cortex-A9 reference methodologies provides designers a complete solution to address the complexities and interdependent needs of low power and new process nodes."

"ARM continues to work with Cadence to provide reference methodologies for our mutual customers," said Peter Middleton, vice president of
engineering,Processor Division, ARM. "We are now working with Cadence to extend the flow to incorporate additional low power management capabilities documented in the new chapter that ARM has contributed to the industry publication, 'A Practical Guide to Low-Power Design.'"

Cadence will continue to share the results of the Cortex-A9 collaboration
through jointseminars and papers presented at events such as CDNLive! EMEA 2008, as well asthrough low-power techtorials and presentations at Cadence Technology on Tour events.

The iphone and touch use a

Fri, 01/09/2009 - 3:23pm — Pat (not verified)

The iphone and touch use a Lithium Ion battery, and the new laptop battery is a Lithium-Polymer.

http://www.apple.com/batteries/

Of course a solid product

Fri, 01/09/2009 - 7:35pm — 9to5Mac Noob (not verified)

Of course a solid product must be priority one. But time waits for no one, Apple is no exception and must move forward at a steady pace.

The custom SoC farther along then expected.

Fri, 01/09/2009 - 11:06pm — Dave (not verified)

I don't know if there is any truth to this but it was my understanding that the reason Apple purchased PA Semi is that they where in fianacial trouble and where already well under way on a project for Apple. The purchase was simply away for Apple to assure completetion of the project.

There is also this idea of an interim or lower end solution that may show up immediately with the SMP unit coming later or in larger devices. In other words PA / Apple will likely have more than one new SoC in line. One suitable for a Nano iPhone like device and the higher performance units for larger devices / higher performance devices.

In any event I believe Apple is farther ahead than many think. Even the publically announced release dates from Cadence and allied vendors don't mean much as both Apple and PA would likely of had prerelease access.

I'd be very surprised if we didn't see fruits of Apples design efforts by mid year or earlier. Maybe not a quad core initiall but certainly a custom chip. The only thing that would de a mystery is the design node, if they can push 45 nm we could have one very nice incremental improvement in Apples handhelds.

Dave

I completely agree. I think

Sat, 01/10/2009 - 1:48am — Dave Park

I completely agree. I think the only sticking point is that Apple will desire to use a 45nm process rather than 65nm, because of the power reductions. I think they'll pair a dual core device with the Imagination video core for the next spin of the iPhone, and a quad core device for appleTV/time machine use. I think they'll bridge the performance gap with OpenCL to make the best use of Imagination's graphics engine(s).

I don't think we'll see a quad core device in an iPhone this year.

imvho.

When I look at the iPhone, I

Sat, 01/10/2009 - 9:28pm — 9to5Mac Noob (not verified)

When I look at the iPhone, I see something completely different. A device of limited and crippled capability that is flawed at its core and of limited utility. (I tried one and gave it back.)

Apple would do better to work with partners who develop things such as Qualcomm's Snapdragon an move on from there instead of reinventing the wheel just to say they did so.