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ApplicationsProcessorsJuly2012ApplicationsProcessors•Fastgrowingmarket•Cellularphonemarketshiftfrommultipleprice/functionbandstostrongemphasisonsmart-and‘super’phones•Introductionoftablets,anddisplacementoflaptopcomputersespeciallyforhome/consumeruse•Criticalparametersare•Computingperformance(clockspeed,corearchitectureandnumber)•Powerconsumption(translatestobatterylifeofendproduct)•Andmorerecently,graphicsperformance2Technology•Typicallyusingleading-edgelogicprocesses(45/32/28nm)•PrimarilybasedonARM’sCortex-A9processorcores,expectedtomovetoARM’sCortex-A15thisyear•Dualcorehasbecomethenorm•Quadcoreversionshittingthemarketinthelast6monnths•Multiplepackagingmethodologies•OftenseenPackage-on-Package(PoP)withassociatedLow-PowerDDRDRAM(smallerfootprint)•QualcommusingPackage-in-Packageforsomeprocessors,potentiallyreducingheightofpackage•Sometimesseenstand-alonewithseparateDRAM,especiallyintablets3Otherconsiderations•Memoryinterface/speedofmemoryaccesscriticaltooverallsystemperformance•AllmajorsystemscurrentlyusingLPDDR2DRAM•ExpecttostartseeingmigrationtoLPDDR3in2013•Qualcommincorporatescellularbasebandfunctionality(reduceschipsetrequirement)–othervendorshaveapplications-onlyprocessors•OverallsystemperformancehighlydependentonO/S,withhighlyoptimizediOSandAndroidprovidingastrongeruserexperiencethatalessestablishedO/Sonthesamehardware4Majorplayer-Apple•DedicatedforAppleproducts(iPod,iPhone,iPad,andnowAppleTV)•Appsprocessorsoriginallyco-developedwithSamsung•Nowdesignedindependently,with5thgenerationofapplicationsprocessor•Actuallygeneration5.1withtheA5XiniPadgen3and32nmversionofA5innewerAppleTVs•FabricatedbySamsungfoundryservices,thoughrumoursareamigrationtoTSMCisintheworks5Majorplayer-nVidia•NotlinkedtospecificOEM,nVidiaTegraapplicationsprocessorsfoundinAndroiddevicesacrossthemarket•Leveragingtheirgraphicsexpertise,nVidiapromotestheirhighperformancegraphicscapabilitiesontopofusingthetraditionalARMCortex-A9architecture•Nowin3rdgeneration(Tegra3)withfourCortex-A9cores•FabricatedbyTSMC6Majorplayer–TexasInstruments•NotlinkedtospecificOEM,TIOMAPapplicationsprocessorsfoundinnumerousdevicesinthemarket•Earlyplayerintheapplicationsprocessormarket,thoughfewerdesignwinsforitslatestprocessorthannVidia–firstenteredmarketwithRIMPlaybook•Nowin5thgeneration(OMAP543X)withdualCortex-A15cores,thoughnotyetavailableindevicesonthemarket(expectedlaterthisyear)•BelievedtobeusingUMCfoundryservicesatthe28nmnode7Majorplayer-Qualcomm•NotlinkedtospecificOEM,QualcommapplicationsprocessorsfoundinAndroiddevicesacrossthemarket•Differentiatedbyintegratingcellularbasebandfunctionalityintoitsapplicationsprocessors•Applicationsprocessoronlyversions(nobaseband)havebeenfoundinsomecommercialdevices•Manyversionsofprocessorsavailable,currentflagshipistheMSM8960(SnapdragonS4)featuringquadARMCortex-A9cores–foundinnewHTCOne-Xsmartphone•CurrentlyusingTSMC’s28nmprocess8Majorplayer–ST-Ericsson•NotlinkedtospecificOEM,thoughoftenpairedwithSony-Ericsson(nowSonyMobile)•Comparablearchitectureandcomparablecomputingandgraphicsperformancetocompetitors,thoughchallengedtogethighprofiledesignwins•Withrecentcorporaterestructuring,appearsnowtobeowneddirectlybySTMicroelectronics•Stillfollowingaggressiveroadmapforappsprocessorproductdevelopment9AppleA5Processor–dualARMCortexA910IMobileProcessorsSeptember2011Die–12.1x10.1=122.2mm2DiemarkDelayereddiePackagePackageX-RaynVidiaTegra2Processor–dualARMCortexA911IMobileProcessorsSeptember2011Die–7.0x7.0=49.0mm2DiemarkDelayereddiePackagePackageX-RayQualcommAPQ8060Processor–dualARMCortexA912IMobileProcessorsSeptember2011Die–11.2x10.4=116.48mm2DiemarkDelayereddiePackagePackageX-RaySamsungExynosProcessor–dualARMCortexA913IMobileProcessorsSeptember2011Die–11.0x10.8=118.8mm2DiemarkDelayereddiePackagePackageX-RayTIOMAP4430Processor–dualARMCortexA914IMobileProcessorsSeptember2011Die–8.4x8.1=68mm2DiemarkDelayereddiePackagePackageX-RaySonyPlaystationVitaProcessor–quadARMCortexA915IMobileProcessorsSeptember2011Die–12.5x11.1=139mm2DiemarkDelayereddiePackagePackageX-RayST-Ericsson–dualARMCortexA916IMobileProcessorsSeptember2011Die–8.4x7.7=64.7mm2DiemarkDelayereddiePackagePackageX-RayNVIDIATegra3Processor–quadARMCortexA917IMobileProcessorsSeptember2011Die–14.0x14.0=196.0mm2DiemarkDelayereddiePackagePackageX-RayAppleA5XProcessor–dualARMCortexA9,quad-coreGPU18IMobileProcessorsSeptember2011Die–12.8x12.8=163.84mm2DiemarkDelayereddiePackagePackageX-RayQualcommMSM8960Processor–Dual-corebaseband/apps19IMobileProcessorsSeptember2011Die–9.8x8.6=84.28mm2DiemarkDelayereddiePackagePackageX-RaySamsungExynosQuadProcessor–quadARMCortexA920IMobileProcessorsSeptember2011Die–9.1x8.6=78.26mm2DiemarkDelayereddiePackagePackageX-RayTheimportanceoftheGPU•Graphicsperformancehasbecomeofmainstreamimportance•Introductionofmuchlarger,higherresolutiondisplays•Emphasison‘super-phones’withHDvideoplaybackandhigh-endgamingexperiences•Graphicscoresmovingfromsingletomulti-corearchitectures,andsteadilygrowinginarea•Powerconsumptionandrelatedheatdissipationhasbecomeachallengefordesigner