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A2O open sourced for enhanced single-thread performance
The A2O core is an out-of-order, multi-threaded, 64-bit POWER ISA core that was developed as a processor for customization and embedded use in system-on-chip (SoC) devices. It’s most suitable for single thread performance optimization. A follow-up to its parent high-streaming throughput A2I predecessor, it maintains the same modular design approach and fabric structure. The Auxiliary Execution Unit (AXU) is tightly-coupled to the core, enabling many possibilities for special-purpose designs for new markets tackling the challenges of modern workloads.
Speaking of the A2O at OpenPOWER Summit 2020, Mendy Furmanek, President of the OpenPOWER Foundation and Director of POWER Open Hardware Business Development at IBM, said, “I’m excited to announce the opening of the out-of-order A2O core design. A2O provides enhanced single-thread performance and is a perfect companion to the highly scalable 4-way SMT commercialized A2I core. These, combined with the ease of entry Microwatt core, do an excellent job of showcasing the versatility of the Power ISA.”
OpenPOWER Foundation | OpenPOWER Foundation Introduces IBM Hardware and Software Contributions at OpenPOWER Summit 2020
OpenPOWER Summit 2020 - held on September 15, 2020 - featured announcements of two open source contributions from IBM - the A2O POWER processor core and Open-CE, based on IBM PowerAI.
openpowerfoundation.org
Interesting timing, with the news about ARM and NVidia. Looks like they're trying to get back some of the embedded market from ARM- and they have a lot of established tooling and software, which gives them a leg up over RISC-V.