MIPS in handsets: Why not?
Jonah Probell
EE Times(10/26/2009 12:01 AM EDT)
ISA in PCs is due to Microsoft Windows' exclusive support. MIPS lost a great opportunity when Microsoft dropped MIPS support from early versions of Windows NT.
ARM's success in mobile phones is due largely to Symbian's mid-1990s decision to support only the ARM ISA--a move that was itself the result of a decision by Texas Instruments to use ARM in mobile phone ASICs for Nokia, then the dominant handset maker. At the time, MIPS was part of Silicon Graphics. MIPS spun out after Symbian came to dominate the phone OS market and lacked incentive to support another ISA.
Aside from cost, power consumption is the largest factor in handset makers' chip vendor choices. People have asserted, without compelling data, that the ARM ISA inherently yields lower-power chips than other ISAs. Actually, fab technology is the biggest factor in power consumption. Microarchitecture--the pipeline depth and instruction-level parallelism--is next, followed by EDA methodology. The ISA has a negligible impact on power consumption. ARM's dominance in handsets is due to historical business decisions, not its ISA.
E-mail This Article | Printer-Friendly Page |
Related News
- Counterpoint: MIPS in handsets -- why not?
- Why MIPS? Imagination Makes Its Case
- The IP double standard: Why is it OK to pay for innovation in a product, but not when innovation is the product?
- Why have all broadcast powerhouses embraced intoPIX JPEG XS? Unraveling the secret behind industry leaders' unanimous adoption!
- Can MIPS Leapfrog RISC-V?
Breaking News
- Thalia's AMALIA 24.2 introduces pioneering estimated parasitics feature to reduce PEX iterations by at least 30%
- TSMC plans 1.6nm process for 2026
- Qualitas Semiconductor Partners with TUV Rheinland Korea to Enhance ISO 26262 Functional Safety Management System
- M31 has successfully launched MIPI C/D PHY Combo IP on the advanced TSMC 5nm process
- Ceva multi-protocol wireless IP could simplify IoT MCU and SoC development
Most Popular
- Controversial former Arm China CEO founds RISC-V chip startup
- Siemens collaborates with TSMC on design tool certifications for the foundry's newest processes and other enablement milestones
- Credo at TSMC 2024 North America Technology Symposium
- Synopsys Accelerates Next-Level Chip Innovation on TSMC Advanced Processes
- Kalray Joins Arm Total Design, Extending Collaboration with Arm on Accelerated AI Processing