Academic researchers have long enjoyed free access to Arm Cortex-M0 and Cortex-M3, including full RTL for the CPUs and their subsystems. Using industry-leading Arm IP and widely implemented systems means that researchers can spend less time on designing a proven system from scratch, enabling them to focus on the research that can make a fundamental difference. In another step forward in our support for academic research, this has now been extended to include Cortex-A5. Cortex-A5 is a widely deployed, Linux-capable CPU, used in over two billion devices worldwide, which opens up exciting new opportunities for academic research.
Arm Cortex-A CPUs have a larger instruction set than Cortex-M and are optimized towards high performance. The Cortex-A5 processor is the smallest and lowest power processor in the Cortex-A family, with a very small footprint of 0.28mm2 on 40nm. This makes it suitable for use in applications with strict performance, power, and area requirements or constraints. As a result, it is a great choice for researchers interested in developing high-performance, feature rich SoCs which could be used in embedded and IoT applications. The CPU also has an integrated Memory Management Unit (MMU), which can run rich operating systems, such as Linux.
Read our blog post which explores the features of Cortex-A5 in more detail.
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Kick start your development of a Linux-capable SoC, with a package that provides:
All of this opens possibilities for research into a wide range of deeply embedded, wearable, and medical applications, among many others. It allows you to explore the development of ML at the edge, using standard ML frameworks and leveraging Arm NN open-source libraries. The package also includes the rights to manufacture and test up to 1,000 units for internal use.
Access to Cortex-A5, including full RTL and subsystems, is available free of charge for academic research use. Simply sign up using your academic email address and accept the click-through EULA to get started using Arm IP for your research.
Get Access
Our dedicated team works closely with institutions worldwide to offer free access to IP, tools, and a wide range of resources to drive academic research success through our Collaboration and Enablement programs. Visit our website to find out how we could support your research projects or get in touch with us to tell us how you are intending on using Cortex-A5 in your institution.