ARM chips have become ubiquitous in mobile devices and embedded systems. Their low power consumption and compact design makes them ideal for battery-powered gadgets. But how did ARM come about and evolve into the leader it is today? Let’s take a look at the origins and major milestones behind this influential microprocessor architecture.
The Early Days of ARM
ARM stands for Advanced RISC Machine. The history of ARM begins back in the 1980s at Acorn Computers Ltd, a British personal computer company. Acorn was known for making the BBC Microcomputer that was widely used in UK schools. But as the personal computing market began shifting towards IBM PC compatibles, Acorn needed to pivot to survive. A team was assembled to create a new 32-bit RISC processor that would power the next generation of Acorn personal computers.
Leading this design team were Sophie Wilson and Steve Furber. Their goal was to create a simple, efficient and low power processor core, later known as the ARM1. The first ARM1 chips shipped in Acorn’s Archimedes personal computer in 1987. While not a huge success, the ARM1 demonstrated the potential of RISC processors for embedded systems. This sparked interest from Apple who was looking for a replacement to the 6502 chips used in their Newton PDA. After licensing the ARM technology, Apple manufactured the ARM6 processor for the Newton in 1993. The Newton helped drive further ARM development and cemented the architecture’s reputation in mobile devices.
The Birth of Advanced RISC Machines Ltd
Seeing growing interest in using ARM cores for embedded systems and mobile devices, Acorn made the decision to spin out the ARM division in 1990. This gave birth to Advanced RISC Machines Ltd, with Apple as one of the founding investors. Now an independent company, ARM focused on licensing processor cores and architectures to other companies. This business model enabled ARM technology to be adopted much more widely than if ARM was only building its own chips.
One of the first major customers for standalone ARM cores was GEC Plessey, an electronics company in the UK. GEC licensed the ARM2 processor in 1992 for a custom chip aimed at embedded applications. As more customers like GEC, Cirrus Logic and Texas Instruments signed on to license and integrate ARM cores, this cemented ARM as an early leader in providing intellectual property for embedded systems-on-chips (SoCs).
The Rise of ARM Powered Mobile Devices
The real explosion in popularity for ARM came through mobile devices. As personal digital assistants (PDAs) and feature phones began proliferating in the 1990s, ARM processors provided the ideal combination of performance, power efficiency and cost effectiveness needed. Hitachi and Sharp were among the first implementers of ARM processors in early PDAs and handheld gadgets.
When Nokia launched a new wave of feature phones like the 7110 and 6110 in the late 1990s, many featured ARM processors. As mobile phones entered the mainstream during this decade, ARM cores were embedded into chips from suppliers like Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Intel and others for hundreds of millions of handsets. The success of ARM paved the way for the architecture to become dominant as smartphones took over after the turn of the millennium.
The Smartphone Era
The rise of smartphones like the original iPhone and Android phones triggered enormous demand for ARM processors. Smartphones required chips that were extremely power efficient for battery life yet also more computationally powerful to run modern mobile operating systems and applications. ARM’s RISC architecture was ideal for balancing these design goals.
Semiconductor companies like Qualcomm, Samsung, MediaTek and others turned to ARM for designs to power their application processors at the core of smartphones. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, Samsung Exynos and MediaTek Dimensity all rely on ARM architectures. Apple took chip design in-house with the A4 in 2010, using an ARM instruction set under license. With billions of smartphones using ARM-based processors, ARM became synonymous with the mobile computing revolution.
Growth of ARM Cores for Embedded Systems
While ARM processors boomed thanks to smartphones, they continued growing rapidly in other embedded devices too. Simple ARM microcontroller chips were embedded into smart cards for transit, bank cards and ID cards. The combination of low cost and power efficiency made ARM perfect for these types of chips.
ARM cores also expanded into home electronics, enabling smart TVs, streaming boxes, printers, smart speakers and more. Automotive electronics was another space where ARM made inroads as cars added new computing capabilities. Advanced driver assist systems, infotainment centers and instrument clusters were powered by ARM chips. The need for power efficiency dovetailed with ARM’s advantages.
Internet of Things and ARM
As the Internet of Things (IoT) emerged, ARM was poised to be the architecture of choice for many connected devices. Whether in a smartwatch, fitness band, home appliance or industrial sensor, ARM processors had the right blend of features. ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers became ubiquitous in this space, powering over 100 billion chips.
Wearables were one major IoT category where ARM prevailed. As smartwatches from Apple, Samsung, Fitbit and others entered the scene, they used compact and efficient ARM application processors. Cortex-M chips were embedded into tags and beacons to enable location tracking and services for retailers.
Ultra Mobile PCs
ARM also made headway into ultra mobile PCs in the late 2000s. As netbooks and ultraportable laptops emerged as a new product category, companies like Nvidia adopted ARM architectures for their Tegra line of processors to power devices like the Asus Eee PC. While initially promising, this space declined with the rise of smartphones and tablets. But it showed ARM’s potential beyond just mobile phones.
After Smartphones – Data Centers to IoT
Even with slowing smartphone sales, ARM kept rapidly evolving. As the world moves to 5G, ARM-based chips are at the core of cellular infrastructure. ARM is also eyeing new opportunities in laptops with Windows on ARM. And with its Neoverse platform, ARM is aiming at the data center market long dominated by x86. With IoT, low power devices are a natural fit for ARM.
In September 2020, semiconductor giant Nvidia acquired ARM in a massive $40 billion deal. This united two of the most influential silicon companies as computing enters a new era of AI, cloud, autonomy and robotics. The history of ARM is still being written today.
