ARM DynamIQ: Expanding the possibilities for artificial intelligence

By Nandan Nayampally, General Manager, ARM Compute Products Group

March 21, 2017 -- In the past four years alone, we have witnessed an amazing expansion of compute. Go inside the numbers of the recent 100 billion ARM-based chips milestone and you will see that 50 billion were shipped by our partners from 2013 to 2017, which demonstrates the industry's insatiable demand for more compute. Even more extraordinary is that we expect our partners to ship the next 100 billion ARM-based chips by 2021.

These numbers further reinforce that ARM is the industry's architecture of choice today. Naturally we see it as our responsibility to address the industry demand for ubiquitous AI, autonomous systems and accelerating the integration of virtual worlds toward a mixed reality experience. To address these needs, we are previewing our new ARM DynamIQ technology to enable our partners with higher performance ceilings than ever before without compromising efficiency.

The next phase of ARM Cortex-A processors

DynamIQ technology is a monumental shift in multicore microarchitecture for the industry and the foundation for future ARM Cortex-A processors. The flexibility and versatility of DynamIQ will redefine the multi-core experience across a greater range of devices from edge to cloud across a secure, common platform. DynamIQ technology will be pervasive in our cars, our homes, and of course our smartphones as well as countless other connected devices where machine learning is applied to the zettabytes of data they generate – both within the cloud and at the device level – advancing AI for a more natural and intuitive user experience.

An industry inflection point for multi-core processing design

The introduction of DynamIQ is an evolutionary step forward for ARM big.LITTLE technology which revolutionized multi-core characteristics for our primary compute devices when launched in 2011. DynamIQ big.LITTLE carries on the 'right processor for the right task' approach and enables configurations of big and LITTLE processors on a single compute cluster which were previously not possible. For example, 1+3 or 1+7 DynamIQ big.LITTLE configurations with substantially more granular and optimal control are now possible. This boosts innovation in SoCs designed with right-sized compute with heterogeneous processing that deliver meaningful AI performance at the device itself.

Here's a high-level look at some of the new features, capabilities and benefits DynamIQ will bring to new Cortex-A processors later this year:

• New dedicated processor instructions for ML and AI: Cortex-A processors designed for DynamIQ technology can be optimized to deliver up to a 50x boost in AI performance over the next 3-5 years relative to Cortex-A73-based systems today and up to 10x faster response between CPU and specialized accelerator hardware on the SoC that can unleash substantially better combined performance.
• Increased multi-core flexibility: SoC designers can scale up to eight cores in a single cluster and each core can have different performance and power characteristics. These advanced capabilities enable faster responsiveness to ML and AI applications. A redesigned memory subsystem enables both faster data access and enhance power management
• More performance within restricted thermal budgets: Efficient and much faster switching of software tasks to match the right-sized processor for optimal performance and power is further enhanced through independent frequency control of individual processors
• Safer autonomous systems: DynamIQ brings greater levels of responsiveness for ADAS solution and increased safety capabilities which will enable partners to build ASIL-D compliant systems for safe operation under failure conditions.

Technical details and benefits of DynamIQ can be found in Govind Wathan's blog - ARM DynamIQ: Technology for the next era of compute. You can also download the slides that I presented at our Beijing launch event.

Today we are giving you a glimpse of what's ahead for the Cortex-A processors that will help to power the next 100 billion ARM-based chips. ARM is uniquely positioned to transform and accelerate compute solutions such as AI wherever compute happens as it is the only common compute architecture from sensor to server. DynamIQ is just the latest in ARM's growing list of technology leadership milestones to get the industry one step closer to our ultimate vision; to transform technology experiences through a total computing approach that creates a vast network of securely-connected smart devices that enhance every aspect of peoples' lives.