Using the ARM Cortex-R4 for DSP, part 1: Benchmarks

Can the ARM11 Handle DSP?

In 2004, ARM announced its newest generation of licensable cores, called the "Cortex" family. Cortex cores span a wide range of performance levels, with Cortex M-series cores at the low end, Cortex R-series cores providing mid-range performance, and the Cortex A-series applications processors offering the highest performance. The first Cortex core to be announced was the Cortex-M3, and since then ARM has announced several others, including the Cortex-A8 and A9, the Cortex-M1, and the Cortex-R4.

The Cortex-R4 targets moderately demanding applications such as hard disk drives, inkjet printers, automotive safety systems, and wireless modems. It is marketed as a higher-performance replacement for the older ARM9E core. BDTI recently completed a benchmark analysis of the ARM Cortex-R4 core and is now releasing the first independent signal processing benchmark results for this processor. In this article, we'll take a look at its benchmark results and compare its performance to that of other ARM cores (including the ARM11, another moderate-performance core) and selected competitors.

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