Microprocessor Design and the ARM
ARM past and present
The first ARM processor was developed on 3-micron technology in 1983-1985. For simplicity, we will be using the ARM6/7 architecture first developed between 1990-1995 in these lectures. At first blush, this may seem to be a bit behind the times - after all, it's the twenty-first century now - but today's ARM processors share the same effective and efficient design principles, have many common elements in their implementation, and the same core assembly language as the ARM6/7 architectures, so what you learn here is still very relevant to the latest machines.
Today's ARM processors are very high performance devices, sharing a common architecture and consuming relatively little power. They also are comparatively inexpensive. ARM processors provide the essential hardware for complex operating systems supporting wireless, imaging and consumer applications. Examples of the latter include digital cameras, games consoles, iPod Nanos, high-definition televisions, etc. They are the work horses for embedded real-time systems such as mass storage, automotive control, industrial use in robotic assembly lines and electronic tools, and computer networking (broadband modems, routers, and networking switches of the Internet infrastructure). They can also be found in secure applications such as smart cards and mobile phone SIMs.