4th gen Intel Core processors suit a range of embedded applications

The new microarchitecture The new microarchitecture enables 4th generation Intel Core processors to offer up to 15% enhanced cpu performance. At the core, the processors feature, for example, optimised instruction caches and out of order execution. For multithread applications requiring deterministic real time behaviour, this is of great relevance. Another feature is the improvement of the execution units, which increases the number of micro operations (µops) cycle from six to eight per cycle – an increase of 33%. As such improvements take place at the micro operations level, the effective performance increase is a little less and depends on the application itself. Beside these optimisations, important improvements have been achieved by the addition of new instruction extensions. By adapting applications to the new extensions, OEMs can improve the performance density and responsiveness of their embedded applications significantly. In detail, the new enhancements are: Advanced Vector Extensions 2.0 (Intel AVX2), Intel Fused Multiply Add, new Bit Manipulation Instructions (BMI) and Transactional Synchronization Extensions (TSX). All these improvements contribute to an improved computing performance that is now available in many different performance flavours. Broad performance range Besides supporting turbo boost technology and the individually definable - and thus limitable – thermal design power (TDP) of the processors, the new microarchitecture comes in a very broad performance range. Core frequency can be as high as 3.9GHz, quad-core performance in Turbo mode with 84W TDP down to 25W consuming 1.6GHz dual core performance. For the embedded market, the performance range of the mobile processors is particularly relevant. These processors, which feature integrated graphics cores, are available from Intel Core i7 processor with up to 4x 2.4GHz cores, down to cost optimised Intel Celeron processor variants. And Intel will be offering a single chip 15W TDP device later in 2013. This latter device will accommodate higher performance processing in a smaller chip package to enable lighter and thinner compute platforms for intelligent systems. With all the different performance stages, the 4th generation of Intel Core processors is suited to a range of applications, ranging from thermally sensitive designs to those with compute intensive, graphics intensive and I/O challenged applications. Pure performance hungry applications – such as industrial computers and servers as well as robots, POS terminals or telecom routers and switches – will benefit from the AVX 2.0 extensions, as well as the Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading support. For I/O intensive applications ECC is provided, as well as maximum I/O flexibility with communications rates of up to PCIe Gen3, USB 3.0 and SATA 6G, to connect with high speed cameras or the multitude of different I/O in test and measurement, factory automation or with kiosk systems and ATMs or the wireless infrastructure. Ubiquitous enhanced graphics For all these different applications, the 4th generation Intel Core processors integrate enhanced graphics. Entry level graphics, entitled Intel HD graphics, now feature 10 execution units instead of the six found in the previous processor generation. While drawing comparable levels of power, embedded appliances can now offer round about 35% higher graphics performance. Meanwhile, the mid range graphics now provide 20 execution units, instead of the previous 16. A completely new introduction for the bga packaged processor variants is the top of the line Intel Iris graphics with 40 execution units. This comes in two different versions: the Intel Iris graphics 5100; and the Intel Iris Pro graphics 5200, which features additional fast dram on the processor package. It offers twice the graphics performance of the most powerful 3rd generation Intel Core processor gpu. The new graphics cores support latest graphics APIs, such as DirectX 11.1 and the platform-independent Open GL 4.x, to provide a more immersive and realistic 3d experience at higher resolutions. Monitor resolutions of up to 4K (3840 x 2160, with VESA HBR2) are now supported. Support for 4K enables information to be displayed on huge panels which provide sharp and detailed visualisation without visible pixilation, even when in close proximity to the screen. Improved security Designs based on 4th generation Intel Core processors will allow developers to enjoy improved security, thanks to the provision of new Intel AES Instructions. The architecture consists of six instructions that offer full hardware support for AES. Four instructions support the AES encryption and decryption, while the other two support the AES key expansion. Between them, they offer a significant increase in performance compared to the current pure software implementations because application performance is not affected. Beyond improving performance, the AES instructions provide important security benefits. By running in data independent time and not using tables, they help in eliminating the major timing and cache based attacks that threaten table based software implementations of AES. In addition, they make AES simple to implement, with reduced code size helping to minimise the risk of inadvertent introduction of security flaws, such as difficult to detect side channel leaks. Many different shells With their highly attractive feature sets, 4th generation Intel Core processors will allow engineers to design and build sophisticated embedded applications in a range of physical configurations, as well as including a range of interface configurations. At the same time, the continuous evolution in x86 innovations puts a lot of pressure on OEMs to not fall behind with the implementation. To ensure that customers can keep up pace with new innovations as simply, quickly and as cost efficiently as possible, embedded hardware manufacturers like Kontron work with a dual strategy – firstly, with regards to standardisation and, secondly, by offering value added services for implementing new processor technology. The aim is to ensure that customers will have very few worries about implementing the latest processors. The first Kontron intelligent platforms to feature the 4th generation Intel Core processors will be the Mini-ITX, COM Express and 6U CompactPCI form factors, as well as the Kontron SYMKLOUD media cloud platforms. Further boards and systems will follow. An impressive fact is that there are not only board level products available right from the start, but also dedicated carrier cloud systems. This underlines Kontron's efforts to shape the product offerings even more to industry specific demands and to deliver a wider range of application ready platforms. With their improved processing, graphics performance, energy efficiency and broad scalability, the 4th generation Intel Core processors with the new microarchitecture will provide an attractive solution for a broad array of mid to high end embedded applications in markets such as medical, communications, industrial automation, infotainment and military. Norbert Hauser is Kontron's executive vice president of marketing.