AppliedMicro Launches HeliX Family of Embedded Processors

The high-end embedded market is transitioning from 32-bit to 64-bit. Hence, the demand for ARMv8-A-based computing processors have increased, because the ARMv8 architecture features support for 64-bit with a focus on power-efficient implementation while maintaining compatibility with existing 32-bit software. 

Catering to this demand, Applied Micro Circuits (News - Alert) Corporation (also called as AppliedMicro) has announced the launch of HeliX – a new family of ARMv8-A based embedded processors.

AppliedMicro (News - Alert) is a provider of computing and connectivity solutions for next-generation cloud infrastructure and data centers. It also offers silicon solutions designed to lower total cost of ownership.

The new addition to AppliedMicro’s portfolio, HeliX, is ideal for use in wired and wireless networking, networked storage, office automation solutions and industrial controls.

According to AppliedMicro, the HeliX processors even enable scalability from fan-less systems to high-end control plane processing, because these processors ranges from 8-core, 2.4 GHz versions that can address the high performance demands of enterprise networking to 2-core, 1.2 GHz versions that can satisfy the power-sipping demands of Energy Star compliant printers and routers.

As quoted by Paramesh Gopi, CEO of AppliedMicro, HeliX is designed to alleviate the fragmentation that currently defines the embedded market. He also noted that HeliX is the company’s second ARMv8-A architecture based product category, after X-Gene processors, released in the past three years.  

Comprehensively supported by industry-standard software tool chain and operating systems, the new HeliX family of embedded processors includes specific application accelerators too that result in dramatic improvements in efficiency for the targeted workloads.

Above all, availability of these HeliX processors in two-, four- and eight-core configurations ranging from 1.2GHz to 2.4GHz; 1-2 channels of high bandwidth DDR3 memory - complemented with 1-2 integrated 10GbE NIC (News - Alert)'s and I/O virtualization features - make them ideal for a wide range of high-end network applications.

Unveiled during a live presentation at ARM (News - Alert) TechCon 2014, Santa Clara, California, the new HeliX family of products is currently in sampling and in production.

According to the company’s Mike Major, AppliedMicro was first to sample ARMv8 server silicon to customers and partners. To date, it has been the only company offering a fully integrated Server on a Chip (SoC) solution specifically designed for the cloud.