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Apple A4 Processor Teardown

Posted by timothy on from the coring-the-thing dept.

Plocmstart writes "Here's what EETimes.com is claiming to be the first teardown of the A4 processor. 'Apple's iPad chip is a single-core ARM A8 made by Samsung. Through various benchmarking testing, UBM TechInsights was able to find out the details of the A4 processor.'"

79 comments

  1. Interesting by Pojut · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Anyone know what Google is planning on stuffing in their new tablet?

    --
    Living With a Nerd
    1. Re:Interesting by sznupi · · Score: 1

      No reason for them to go with anything else than also one of the recent ARM SoC.

      --
      One that hath name thou can not otter
    2. Re:Interesting by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Anyone know what Google is planning on stuffing in their new tablet ?

      Advertisements.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    3. Re:Interesting by obarthelemy · · Score: 2, Funny

      spyware !

      --
      The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
    4. Re:Interesting by biryokumaru · · Score: 3, Funny

      Hrm... That brings a whole disturbing new level to the question "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"

      --
      When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
    5. Re:Interesting by michaelhood · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Anyone know what Google is planning on stuffing in their new tablet ?

      Advertisements.

      Slashdot broke my mod points somehow, but this deserves to be modded to plus infinity. However, as anyone who saw the iPhone OS 4.0 presentation knows, there will be plenty of ads on the iPad too soon enough.

    6. Re:Interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Anyone know what Google is planning on stuffing in their new tablet?

      WIN. Lots and lots of WIN.

  2. No Way by LordBmore · · Score: 5, Funny

    This can't be right... TFA doesn't make a single reference to magic.

    1. Re:No Way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      As anyone who's dabble in electronics will tell you, opening or frying an IC lets the pixies escape.

    2. Re:No Way by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 2, Funny

      MOV r0, 'Magical' ;
      LDR r1, r0 ;

      There you go, all better ;-)

    3. Re:No Way by edittard · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Are you saying this isn't so much a teardown as a lookat, a thinkabout or a getdrunkandspeculatewildly?

      --
      At the bottom of the /. main page it says 'Yesterday's News'. Well they got that right.
    4. Re:No Way by gyrogeerloose · · Score: 1

      This can't be right... TFA doesn't make a single reference to magic.

      It's a given. All electronic components operate via the Magic Smoke they contain. That's why it's such a big concern when see smoke rising from a device--once the Magic Smoke has leaked out, they stop working.

      --
      This ain't rocket surgery.
    5. Re:No Way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Ah, yes. I once accidentally reversed the 5 V and 12 V leads on a harddrive and saw the magical blue smoke escape from controller chip. Electronics work only so long as that smoke stays inside the chips! (I wonder how they get in it in there in the factories...)

    6. Re:No Way by marcansoft · · Score: 2, Informative

      Does not assemble. Try this:

      get_magic:
                      ADR r0, magic
                      BX lr

      magic: .ascii "Magical\0"

    7. Re:No Way by negRo_slim · · Score: 1

      I have a feeling a vast majority of people do think of computers and electricity as not necessarily the dictionary's definition of magic, but something very similar.

      --
      On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
    8. Re:No Way by gyrogeerloose · · Score: 2

      I have a feeling a vast majority of people do think of computers and electricity as not necessarily the dictionary's definition of magic, but something very similar.

      Indeed. The obligatory Arthur C. Clarke quote:

      "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

      definitely applies. Even when you know something about the technology, it can still seem like magic.

      --
      This ain't rocket surgery.
    9. Re:No Way by biryokumaru · · Score: 1

      I wonder how they get in it in there in the factories...

      Oh, it's the same way they get the coke in the coke bottles, the factory is actually filled with smoke.

      --
      When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
    10. Re:No Way by michaelhood · · Score: 1

      This can't be right... TFA doesn't make a single reference to magic.

      I wish we had the original diagrams, maybe we could at least find the revolution generators..

      (why parent post is funny)

    11. Re:No Way by blueZ3 · · Score: 1

      IMO, that's true of pretty much any "technology" these days.

      Even something as "simple" as a car--ask your average person about how their car runs and they'll probably be able to tell you that the engine uses gasoline and that's pretty much it. You put the key in the ignition, turn it, and the magical transportation fairies start working.

      A big part of this is due to specialization. Most folks have some particular thing that they're good at/focused on. But ask for details about how something works that's outside their area of expertise and you're likely to get an explanation that makes little sense to someone who really knows the answer.

      Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with specialization, it's just something to be aware of. And anyway, as long as you get the results you expect, does it really matter how it works? That information is only really "useful" when something goes wrong. Which is all too often, I know :-)

      --
      Interested in a Flash-based MAME front end? Visit mame.danzbb.com
  3. Useful / single page URL by BitZtream · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224701036&printable=true&printable=true

    Next time guys, save us the effort and use the link that doesn't require us to click next 4 times to read an article that fits on half a page.

    Oh ... timothy, nevermind.

    --
    Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
    1. Re:Useful / single page URL by Hatta · · Score: 1

      I was too busy giggling about "UBM" to notice. UBM? I do!

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    2. Re:Useful / single page URL by Bearhouse · · Score: 1

      Yup. Timmy is the new Zonk

  4. Here's The iPad Killer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    iPad Killer

    Take the crapPad and Blend it !

    Yours In Smolensk,
    Kilgore Trout.

    1. Re:Here's The iPad Killer by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 1

      Wow, that iPad Killer comes with a free can of Coke? That's pretty impressive. It looks like a Franklin Electronics address book.

    2. Re:Here's The iPad Killer by Antiocheian · · Score: 1

      No, it's the Coke that comes with a free iPad Killer

    3. Re:Here's The iPad Killer by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      I played with a Ben NanoNote at FOSDEM and, while it's an amazing device, it's nothing like the iPad. The screen is really tiny - only 320x200 pixels, which is not enough even for most terminal apps (40x15 characters), let alone graphical apps. The keyboard is really tiny too and it has a very slow CPU and little RAM.

      The strength of the NanoNote is that it really is tiny. It's smaller than a typical wallet - you could slip it into your trouser pockets and take it everywhere. Running a web browser on it would be painful, but if you want a computer that you can take absolutely anywhere, then it might be interesting. It's also so cheap that you won't worry too much about losing it.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    4. Re:Here's The iPad Killer by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      In your useful review, you seem to have overlooked the points of comparison with the iPad. That's because there aren't any, so fuck knows what the GP was talking about.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  5. Re:ARTICLE IS GOATSE REDIRECT by Darkness404 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is /. we do not read TFA, therefore it doesn't matter if it is Goatse or not, no one is going to see it.

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  6. also, multicore? by poetmatt · · Score: 2, Insightful

    also, I thought the world claimed it was multi-core? This teardown summary says it's single core.

    A4 is a System-on-a-Chip, or SOC, that integrates the main processor [ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore i.e. Multi-Processing Core, identical to ones used in nVidia Tegra and Qualcomm Snapdragon]

    meanwhile, from the summary:

    number of ARM cores: 1

    hmm.

    1. Re:also, multicore? by atrus · · Score: 2, Informative

      Multicore was wild speculation. It was pretty much obvious that it was a Cortex-A8 once the first units hit the market.

    2. Re:also, multicore? by the+linux+geek · · Score: 0, Troll

      It's also an A8, not an A9 as has occasionally been claimed. Apple fans will do anything to hype their fairly weak chip, it seems.

    3. Re:also, multicore? by gumbi+west · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Find a review that says the UI slow.

    4. Re:also, multicore? by negRo_slim · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What does the UI have to do with processor performance?

      --
      On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
    5. Re:also, multicore? by devjj · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Apple's just proving the point that consumers don't care how "fast" a chip is if the experience is that the device is fast.

    6. Re:also, multicore? by trouser · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Apple's just proving the point that consumers don't care how "fast" a chip is if the experience is that the device has an Apple Logo.

      --
      Now wash your hands.
    7. Re:also, multicore? by BasilBrush · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Brand loyalty first has to be earned. Apple didn't get lucky, they created a lot of great products and earned their brand loyalty.

    8. Re:also, multicore? by jo_ham · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Wait, I thought all "Apple fans" were mindless sheep who thought their Apple products were magical white shiny boxes powered by unicorn farts. Why would they know the difference between an ARM A8 and A9?

      Or are you saying that Apple fans do actually have some discerning knowledge about the hardware they use?

    9. Re:also, multicore? by SolusSD · · Score: 1

      Weak chip? The intent was good performance and good battery life. The iPad gets ~10 hours on a single charge and nothing about the iPad feels sluggish. A lot of this has to do with a very optimized software stack (xnu + darwin + cocoa touch ui layer) with apps written in Objective-C (managed memory instead of garbage collection, natively compiled). It is quite a bit more efficient than even Android's optimized software stack, which runs apps on a stripped down JVM. There's more to building a responsive system than throwing ever faster CPUs at it.

    10. Re:also, multicore? by soppsa · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's all that matters in the end. This device isn't for you to play Crysis on or compile your gentoos.

      --
      Ogre Wedding Planners llc.
    11. Re:also, multicore? by tehcyder · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Hi Steve!

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    12. Re:also, multicore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tons, think of playing a game of chess with a timer vs playing over email.

    13. Re:also, multicore? by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Hi Bill. Are you stalking me again?

    14. Re:also, multicore? by guhknew · · Score: 1

      Sorry. Undoing a bad moderation.

  7. Congratulations. by spun · · Score: 4, Funny

    You found a way to make Slashdotters actually click through to the article. Now, if only you could find a way to make them read it.

    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    1. Re:Congratulations. by commodoresloat · · Score: 0, Troll

      You found a way to make Slashdotters actually click through to the article. Now, if only you could find a way to make them read it.

      Say it's a two girls one cup redirect instead?

  8. No but it does have neon. by leuk_he · · Score: 4, Informative

    It does have Neon but no powerpc. Strange that this information did not came from someone with a compiler. Does apple withhold information what code can be generated? Are devs so spooked by the apps license?

    1. Re:No but it does have neon. by ShakaUVM · · Score: 2, Interesting

      >>Does apple withhold information what code can be generated?

      The only officially approved code generation method for the iPad is to send a nicely worded letter to Apple, along with X dollars. In Y months your app will be compiled for you and put up on the app store, for which you'll receive no royalties.

    2. Re:No but it does have neon. by FuckingNickName · · Score: 2, Informative

      I wish it were that easy! In the real world, developers go through all this and have to worry about their app being rejected.

    3. Re:No but it does have neon. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only option I've seen in xcode is Armv7 code... I haven't seen any info on the instruction set from Apple, but I also haven't really looked.

      iPhone OS now targets both Armv6 (original iPhone, iPhone 3G and first 2 generations of iPod touch), as well as Armv7 (supported by iPhone 3GS + 3rd gen iPod touch). Additionally, Apple requires building for Armv7 if you wish to distribute your app as a native app to the iPad.

      Basically, in order to build an app for both iPone and iPad (Universal), you need to compile your executable for both instruction sets. This is really easy. It is just an option in xcode and your executable ends up around twice the size. It is actually pretty cool that you can do it.

      Based on the fact that we already need to think about multiple instruction sets now, I would think that Apple discourages any form of direct assembly code, but to be honest I really don't know.

    4. Re:No but it does have neon. by sznupi · · Score: 1

      Neon, which...pretty much every ARM Cortex has, I believe.

      --
      One that hath name thou can not otter
    5. Re:No but it does have neon. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, sort of. Every Cortex A perhaps. Cortex M microcontrollers... not so much!

  9. Upshot: display tech dominates battery life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    They show that power usage is:
    0.5 Watts at idle with the display disconnected
    1.75 Watts at idle with display at min brightness
    4.25 Watts at idle with display at max brightness

    They estimate that the A4 CPU uses 0.5 to 0.8 Watts when browsing the web over WiFi.

    Conclusion, FTA:

    Until display technologies make big moves downward in power consumption the consumer experience of battery life may be driven as much or more by the LED drivers, opto-mechanical design of the back-lighting, display settings and wireless connectivity employed versus the CPU itself.

    1. Re:Upshot: display tech dominates battery life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If a man has a strong faith he can indulge in the luxury of skepticism. -- Friedrich Nietzsche

    2. Re:Upshot: display tech dominates battery life by sznupi · · Score: 1

      Goof thing Pixel Qi is finally ramping up production to appreciable levels, with several upcoming products using their screen (also tablets)

      Sure, they are "cheating" by turning the backlight down in bright ambient light situations...so? The effect is what counts.

      --
      One that hath name thou can not otter
    3. Re:Upshot: display tech dominates battery life by afidel · · Score: 1

      PixelQI fixes this today, the cost needs to be worked on, but the technology is a solved problem.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    4. Re:Upshot: display tech dominates battery life by quenda · · Score: 1

      Considering its a cellphone CPU attached to a laptop screen: No shit!

  10. teardown my ass by veg_all · · Score: 2, Funny

    tfa:

    With further analysis, including chip-level reverse engineering, we may be able to identify whether innovations such as Intrinsity’s patented cell libraries were used to optimize the critical paths in the ARM core itself.

    IOW, "It looks kinda neat, wonder what's inside!"

    --
    grammar-lesson free since 1999. (rescinded - 2005)
    1. Re:teardown my ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not only is this not a teardown, its not the first by a long shot.

      Chipworks seems to have beaten them to the punch - most of this report was available the day after the iPad was launched.

      Do your homework EETimes!

      http://chipworks.com/Apple-iPAD-Teardown.aspx

    2. Re:teardown my ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not only is this not a teardown, its not the first by a long shot.

      Chipworks seems to have beaten them to the punch - most of this report was available the day after the iPad was launched.

      Do your homework EETimes!

      http://chipworks.com/Apple-iPAD-Teardown.aspx

      This may surprise you, but the iPad is not its own CPU.

  11. L2 Cache! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Did you see the size of the L2 cache? It ought to be enough for everybody!

  12. Next steps by Yvan256 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    A4 for iPad
    A4 for next iPhone
    A4 for next iPod touch
    A4 for next AppleTV, possibly let it play games too.

    1. Re:Next steps by JamesP · · Score: 1

      And then A5 maybe?!

      --
      how long until /. fixes commenting on Chrome?
    2. Re:Next steps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      A4 for President

    3. Re:Next steps by duckbillplatypus · · Score: 2, Funny

      i prefer u.s. letter size.

    4. Re:Next steps by nyctopterus · · Score: 1

      I'm waiting for the A5 Powerbook, it's gonna be awesome!

  13. 8 minute abs by goombah99 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well since apple came out with the 4 minute Abs, I assume google will have to go with the 3 minute abs. ie. the A3.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  14. So that's why... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They can only run a single app at a time.. Only a single core. This explains everything.

    1. Re:So that's why... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They can only run a single app at a time.. Only a single core. This explains everything.

      Yes, before Intel's Core Duo CPUs, people on desktop computers could also only run one app at a time.

  15. Oh? by FredMenace · · Score: 1

    "Here's what EETimes.com is claiming to be the first teardown of the A4 processor

    Oh really?

  16. Interesting in a left-handed sort of way by Whuffo · · Score: 1

    I think we can all agree that the iPad isn't magical. I've got one and it doesn't support any kind of magical function that I can find. But the claim that it's revolutionary or world-changing seems to gain some support from the subject of this article. If it's nothing special, why is a detailed analysis of its CPU important or interesting?

  17. Re:lol by Tak_1 · · Score: 1

    So, basically, you are saying that anon trolls are insecure children who see everything in direct proportion to their "minuscule" pens size? Thank you, I know understand the driving force of trolls. Explains a great deal really.

  18. No mystery why the iPad is faster than iPhone 3GS by default+luser · · Score: 1

    The question has been asked: how is the iPad so much faster than the iPhone 3GS, despite having the same processor (sometimes more than double the speed)? The simple answer is: double the memory bandwidth!

    iPhone 3GS: 32-bit memory bus, 600 MHz core
    iPad: 64-bit memory bus, 1000 MHz core.

    And this is assuming the memory technologies / clock speeds did not change. If they also increased the memory clock, the bandwidth increase could be 3x or more. And since rich web media craves memory, bandwidth is a key limiter for rendering complex websites. Thus, it's not hard to see how a %66 faster core speed could translate to a double-or-more average benchmark improvement.

    --

    Man is the animal that laughs.
    And occasionally whores for Karma.

  19. Re:No mystery why the iPad is faster than iPhone 3 by edxwelch · · Score: 1

    There's a huge flaw in that Arstechnica artical: they are using Safari to benchmark. Who's to say that Safari itself hasn't been optimised for the iPad? They should have tested using a custom benchmark app.