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My understanding is that ARM Cortex-A7 architecture was released after Cortex-A9 and improves features of previous versions. However, I have only found one manufacturer, NXP, that uses Cortex-A7 architecture in their processors. I am referring to manufacturers that mass produce microprocessors only. Suggestions?
I'd like to add Rockchip to the list.
If you want to build your own board using a Cortex-A7 based CPU, you could purchase a single Allwinner A20 from either Olimex or eBay.
You can also get stencils for the A20 on eBay.
One advantage of the A20 is that you can get it in a LQFP package, which is possible to "solder at home".
(You can also purchase a single Allwinner A10, which is Cortex-A8, from Olimex and eBay, if you wish; I think the footprint might be the same as the A20, if I recall correctly, but no promises).
So far, I know of the following:
Marvell, Broadcom, Allwinner, Rockchip, Freescale (now NXP), Mediatek, Qualcomm and Samsung.
-You may find that the Cortex-A8 and Cortex-A9 may still be faster than the Cortex-A7 in many areas.
If you want to try out the A20, you could try purchasing a board like Lamobo/Banana Pi, CubieBoard2 or similar (see armbian.com for a larger list of boards; click the "A20" button to select the CPU).
I have seen many A20's used for phones and tablets applications. I am actually working on an industrial project and they want an industrial processor for their board. Is A20 a safe option for industrial control systems?