Building an ARM computer

[riccardo_dm]

Hello everyone.

I've been interested for a short time in ARM architecture, and I'd like to study it in deep. Before I could do this, however, one of my "dreams" was to build my own computer with an ARM processor I'll purchase. OK, but... where do you start? :lol:

First of all, I need a processor, and a motherboard with a chipset for that process.

Regarding the processor, I've read that ARM only designs the ARM cores, and licenses those designs to their silicon partners.
So my first doubt is: where can I buy a working processor, and not a microcontroller, like in this page ( http://www.keil.com/dd/parms/arm.htm ), dereferenced by this other page ( http://infocenter.arm.com/help/index.jsp?topic=/com.arm.doc.faqs/ka13884.html )? For example, I am more interested in Cortex-A or maybe even in Cortex-R processor's family, than in Cortex-M. But where do you purchase one? Now I can't give you all the pages I visited, but just as you go on Texas Instruments' website (www.ti.com), you can roam thrugh all the ARM-based products but: 1) I don't know how can you buy and, above all, if you can buy one of that processor (I'm only an end-consumer); 2) Regarding, for example, Cortex-A family, there are two types of TI processors: Sitara and OMAP, different for performance and power consumption: are they SoCs? Let me understand well, because I'm comfused at the moment. Just for two exaples, visit these two pages ( http://www.ti.com/product/am3715 ) ( http://www.ti.com/general/docs/wtbu/wtbuproductcontent.tsp?templateId=6123&navigationId=12864&contentId=103103 ) and tell me what those processors "are" in reality (by the way, I even can't understand why in the "Products" menu at the top-right, the OMAP processors are separeted from the others ARM products, even though they appear together here : http://www.ti.com/lsds/ti/arm/overview.page ).

And then the motherboard. Just imagine, I even don't know if it's possible that they exist, in fact I've read something like "ARM motherboards will start existing whenever ARM processors stop being embedded, and ARM designs a socket. " Instead, do you know anything about that? Can you help me building a self-study computer even with an ATX or micro-ATX MB? By the way, I've heard about some "developing platforms", but I feel that they don't suit my needs. For instance, they have all the electronics they want inside, including the processor itself (look at Beagleboard, Pandaboard, Raspberry Pi...). The only product I haven't understood so much is Keil Versatile Express. Maybe you can guess what a processor daughterboard and a FPGA (???) daughterboard are for with these two pages (the last one is a video) (http://www.arm.com/products/tools/development-boards/versatile-express/index.php) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cysJky0GvRQ).

And, since at the moment I cannot have an updated Computer Architecture book, you should explain how it's possible to use only a SoC to build a new computer.

Wow, now I fell so lightweight I could fly

 

[satyamdubey]

incidently i've been reading up on ARM processors as well lately. Question is whether you're interested in a RISC cpu build or specifically ARM which specializes in RISC based cpu design.

ARM cpu's are currently available only as packaged with a computing device i.e embedded and are not availble as independent units. All this done through licenses as you've already read.

AS far as SoC goes revisit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_on_a_chip
thats good explanation.
SoC is not limited to Load/Store architecture (another and a more appropriate name for RISC) and are avaiable in x86 platorms as well. It's the physical architecture of Load/Store that makes it more SoC friendly. Load/Store has less number of transistors and therefore will theoritically have more space for register set and integrating peripheral components into the same die space compared to CISC

The Texas Instrument pages you've come across are their product portfolios not for the end consumer but for device/product developers. for example RIM may choose one of these processors to power the next Blackberry.

you will have to wait for standardization of ARM or Load/Store architecture to socket based versions to actually build a pc. BlueGene's are powerd by power pc (a RISC chip) but even they are embeded and are SoC units running in parallel

 

[riccardo_dm]

What a pity... instead, do you know if you can buy a sort of processor card (daughterboard) in order to attach them to a mainboard? Always with ARM, of course...

 

[satyamdubey]

came across these links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenRISC
http://am.renesas.com/products/tools/introductory_evaluation_tools/starterkits_evaluation_boards/edk/index.jsp
http://orsoc.se/opencores-creating-the-worlds-first-open-source-openrisc-processor-asic/langswitch_lang/en/
will post more stuff as I come across any
good luck
-Satyam

 

[satyamdubey]

I am not sure of this still worth checking out
http://www.ebay.com/itm/A3261-69204-HP-K-class-180MHz-PA-RISC-processor-board-/120600855682

 

[riccardo_dm]

I visited the links you posted. This is the most interesting thing I found:
http://orsoc.se/system-on-module-arm-soc-fpga-so-dimm/

However, I don't know how to attach that SoC to an "IO-board hosting the required peripherals", and neither what an FPGA device is useful for (I've read the Wikipedia page, but still don't understand).

Oh, one last thing: why does it look like a SO-DIMM? Where do you have to attach it? Hasn't it got the RAM inside?

 

[proton007]

Most ARM processors cannot be found loose.
The concept is to get a development board, and use it as a reference to create your own design. The PC marked is dominated by Intel/AMD, and it makes no sense for ARM to enter that segment.
So, the best way to get going would be to get a Cubieboard, and configure it to run Linux. Support for ARM processors is already included in the kernel.

 

[riccardo_dm]

OK, I think I'll focus on Cubieboard. For now, however, on Aliexpress.com, there are only 512MB-RAM model. I think I'll choose a 1GB one.

 

[proton007]

Yes, the 1GB one should be good enough to run a full fledged desktop and most of the usual apps.

 

[Noaman Khalil]

Hello everyone.

I've been interested for a short time in ARM architecture, and I'd like to study it in deep. Before I could do this, however, one of my "dreams" was to build my own computer with an ARM processor I'll purchase. OK, but... where do you start? :lol:

First of all, I need a processor, and a motherboard with a chipset for that process.

Regarding the processor, I've read that ARM only designs the ARM cores, and licenses those designs to their silicon partners.
So my first doubt is: where can I buy a working processor, and not a microcontroller, like in this page ( http://www.keil.com/dd/parms/arm.htm ), dereferenced by this other page ( http://infocenter.arm.com/help/index.jsp?topic=/com.arm.doc.faqs/ka13884.html )? For example, I am more interested in Cortex-A or maybe even in Cortex-R processor's family, than in Cortex-M. But where do you purchase one? Now I can't give you all the pages I visited, but just as you go on Texas Instruments' website (www.ti.com), you can roam thrugh all the ARM-based products but: 1) I don't know how can you buy and, above all, if you can buy one of that processor (I'm only an end-consumer); 2) Regarding, for example, Cortex-A family, there are two types of TI processors: Sitara and OMAP, different for performance and power consumption: are they SoCs? Let me understand well, because I'm comfused at the moment. Just for two exaples, visit these two pages ( http://www.ti.com/product/am3715 ) ( http://www.ti.com/general/docs/wtbu/wtbuproductcontent.tsp?templateId=6123&navigationId=12864&contentId=103103 ) and tell me what those processors "are" in reality (by the way, I even can't understand why in the "Products" menu at the top-right, the OMAP processors are separeted from the others ARM products, even though they appear together here : http://www.ti.com/lsds/ti/arm/overview.page ).

And then the motherboard. Just imagine, I even don't know if it's possible that they exist, in fact I've read something like "ARM motherboards will start existing whenever ARM processors stop being embedded, and ARM designs a socket. " Instead, do you know anything about that? Can you help me building a self-study computer even with an ATX or micro-ATX MB? By the way, I've heard about some "developing platforms", but I feel that they don't suit my needs. For instance, they have all the electronics they want inside, including the processor itself (look at Beagleboard, Pandaboard, Raspberry Pi...). The only product I haven't understood so much is Keil Versatile Express. Maybe you can guess what a processor daughterboard and a FPGA (???) daughterboard are for with these two pages (the last one is a video) (http://www.arm.com/products/tools/development-boards/versatile-express/index.php) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cysJky0GvRQ).

And, since at the moment I cannot have an updated Computer Architecture book, you should explain how it's possible to use only a SoC to build a new computer.

Wow, now I fell so lightweight I could fly

I have the same dream my friend and I know where to get the components needed to make a prototype if you have a design cad id like to have one in exchange I can help you make the board as I know where to get all the components needed .

 

[apocalyp5e]

Did you look at these yet?
http://apc.io/products/