Heterogeneous Computing in the Edge
HETEROGENOUS PROCESSOR TYPES
There a number of processor architectures that can be used to replace , or more likely supplement , traditional CISC / RISC processors in edge nodes . Some of these processor types are well suited to single thread performance , some are well suited to massively parallel execution , and others are highly optimized for specific applications ( like Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning or signal processing ). This section will describe each of the main types of processors that could be used in heterogeneous edge nodes , and their potentials for application to common edge computing use cases .
CISC / RISC CPUs
Traditional CISC / RISC CPUs are by far the most common processor infrastructure for edge computers . The history of this architecture dates back at least 75 years to ENIAC at the University of Pennsylvania 12 , which many consider the first programmable digital computer . There are several excellent histories of the development of CISC and RISC processors including one from Computerworld 13 .
A watershed event here is the introduction of the Intel 8086 CPU in 1978 , which is the instruction set heritage of most of Intel ’ s and AMD ’ s current product lines . These X86 microprocessors are widely used in cloud and edge computing . Their mature software development ecosystem makes them the leader in diverse computer applications . X86 processors have been successfully deployed in hundreds of edge computing designs . Advanced chips from Intel and AMD integrate 32 or more X86 cores into a server chip .
Beyond X86 , the ARM processor architecture is heavily used in edge computers . The ARM1 architecture was finalized in 1985 . The ARM architecture is owned and maintained by ARM Holdings Ltd ., which licenses IP cores to chip manufacturers including Microchip , TI , NXP , ST Micro , Nvidia , Apple , and many others . The ARM architecture continues to evolve , with the recent announcement of the ARM9 14 .
Of special interest to the edge computing market is the so-called big . LITTLE architecture , where two different types of ARM CPUs are integrated into the same chip 15 . This supports many edge applications , where , for example a relatively modest , low power ARM CPU monitors sensors or
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- 48 - June 2021