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Tilera announcement - how will it affect adoption of multi-core?

DSeif
Novice
1,767 Views

The announcement by Tilera last month flooded the web with stories, most sourced from Dean Takahashi's story in Venture Beat. How will it affect the adoption of multi-core in embedded designs?

Read story:

http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/21/tilera-launches-new-generation-of-multicore-embedded-chips-for-communications/

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SStan3
Beginner
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The Tilera devices will not have a major impact on the adoption of multi-core. The devices are primarily aimed at the networking and security markets where there are already a number of important players including Cavium and RMI with MIPS based devices and Xelerated and EZChip with network processors. The network processors handle packet processing more efficiently and the MIPS based devices handle OS more efficiently. There is a place in the middle for Tilera but it won't change the adoption of multicore and it is likely that mainstream CPUs with four or more cores from Intel, AMD and Freescale will out sell the more specialist designs.

A recent report from Light Reading has more details on multicore for networking. See http://www.lightreading.com/commchip/details.asp?sku_id=2089&skuitem_itemid=1072&&promo_code=&aff_code=&next_url=/commchip/default.asp\%3F http://www.lightreading.com/commchip/details.asp?sku_id=2089&skuitem_itemid=1072&&promo_code=&aff_code=&next_url=/commchip/default.asp\%3F" >Light Reading Components Insider

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JLodh
New Contributor II
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In one of my researches a couple of months back where I was discussing Intel's Bloomfield (Octa-Core) and IBM's Power chip, I did discuss Tilera's 64 core mind bogling embedded chips but I also mentioned in details that these chips/microcontroller should not to be confused with Intel, IBM and AMD's processors that are made for desktop and server class computers "Speaking of which, "Tile64", a 64 Core processor by Tilera should not be confused for a desktop or a server processor and is nowhere in competition with Intel and AMD. - Javed Lodhi"

And if you note yourself, Tilera says that this is a NEW GENERATION OF MULTICORE EMBEDDED CHIPS FOR COMMUNICATION that are designed and programmed specially for telecom and networking infrastructure as I quote from the URL you have posted about Tilera's launch:

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Quoted text below in Bold and Italics from the URL posted in the first post about Tilera's launch

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"Tilera is launching two models of its new TilePro family of chips for telecom and networking infrastructure"

and

"Each chip has either 36 or 64 tiles (processing cores). They're connected via a unique communications structure known as a mesh."

Last but not the least

"He said that Tilera, with 64 tiles on a chip, can put more processing cores on a chip than rivals such as http://www.caviumnetworks.com/ http://www.caviumnetworks.com/" >Cavium Networks and http://www.razamicroelectronics.com/ http://www.razamicroelectronics.com/" >RMI — both of whom use the Mips architecture. Tilera also competes with http://www.cswitch.com/ http://www.cswitch.com/" >Cswitch, http://www.ambric.com/ http://www.ambric.com/" >Ambric, http://www.streamprocessors.com/ http://www.streamprocessors.com/" >Stream Processors, http://www.picochip.com/ http://www.picochip.com/" >PicoChip and http://www.netronome.com/ http://www.netronome.com/" >Netronome.

Bigger companies such as Freescale, Intel and others also have alternatives to offer (Intel's general-purpose chips, for instance) in this market. The Tilera chips compete with digital signal processors, field-programmable gate arrays, custom chips and general-purpose processors. That gives the company a fairly wide array of high-end embedded chip markets to target."

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Now, you have a clear picture? See ... Tilera makes embedded microcontrollers/chips for networking and telecom devices but not the server class or desktop processors in general which does not make Intel or other computer microchip/microprocessor manufacturers a competition since that's a different domain altogether. Tilera chips use ARM cores, they are not the x86 cores. These chips that Tilera makes are used in networking devices such as Routers, Switches, Wireless Access Points, Network Security Appliances (e.g. IPS, IDS).

Speaking of which, perhaps I should share that research I did, be sure to catch up on that in my blogs. I wonder if you guys know of it but if not, let me take off the lid and introduce you to Intel's 80-core teraflops research chip they are working on, I'm sure you guys would be glad to know about it - here take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97uSsjjoSNM&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97uSsjjoSNM&feature=related" >Intel tests chip design with 80-core processor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95fcdJPKp3o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95fcdJPKp3o" >Nitin Borkar demonstrates Intels 80-core Terascale processor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We_PRtRfiNs&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We_PRtRfiNs&NR=1" >Intel Research Day: Terascale 80-core computer chips

80-cores, sounds cool huh! Even if somebody mistakes Tilera's networking/telecom embedded chips as desktop/server class processors, Tilera has 32/64-core but imagine Intel bringing you 80-cores on your desktop ... you would love to save your time at work with that speedy processor and get more time to go out and hang out, wouldn't ya!

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Warm Regards,

Javed Lodhi

Intel Go Green, Save The Environment!

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idata
Employee
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Hello People,

I Just joined up and am trying edit my profile but i can't see the button!! probably staring me in the face lol

thanks guys

G

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