ARM Compiler 6.3: a milestone for Security and Performance

Last week at TechCon 2015 in Santa Clara (California), ARM announced a new architecture and a new A-class low-power processor:

• ARMv8-M architecture: By offering security, enhanced scalability, and improved debug, the ARMv8-M architecture makes it easier for developers to meet the needs of next generation embedded devices. Read more here.
• Cortex-A35 processor: the most efficient Cortex-A class CPU ever designed by ARM. The Cortex-A35 consumes about 33 percent less power per core and occupies 25 percent less silicon area, relative to the Cortex-A53. Read more here.

Today we are happy to introduce ARM Compiler 6.3, available now to download standalone or integrated in DS-5 5.23.

ARM Compiler is always at the leading edge for supporting new architectures and new cores so it should not come as a surprise that ARM Compiler 6.3 already supports both the new ARMv8-M architecture and the new Cortex-A35 processor.

Let’s explore some of the new features and improvements made in ARM Compiler 6.3.

Security

Security is a fundamental aspect in the digital world and ARM is committed to make sure every ARM-based device is secure by default. With the introduction of the TrustZone technology for ARMv8-M, ARM has driven security to low power devices based on Cortex-M processors to ensure developers have a reliable and efficient way of protecting embedded or Internet of Things devices.

TrustZone splits the execution of code between Secure State and Non-Secure State: fine-grained control of memory access and special instructions allow secure code to be protected and, at the same time, to provide guarded entry-points from the Non-Secure state. TrustZone for ARMv8-M has been designed to maintain the small interrupt latency and complexity of the code to the minium, making an ideal technology even for the smallest microcontrollers.

ARM Compiler 6.3 already supports the new architecture with the necessary macros, intrinsics and keywords for simplyfing software development targeting TrustZone for ARMv8-M. ARM Infocenter is a great resource to get more information on how to make use of TrustZone for ARMv8-M. You can also find more information on this blog post Whitepaper - ARMv8-M Architecture Technical Overview.

Performance

When we started to work on ARM Compiler 6 we knew that, in order to be successful, we had to bring the performance of the compiler to very high standards. Leveraging the LLVM infrastructure is now paying dividends and the performance reached by ARM Compiler 6.3 are confirming our expectations:

The benchmarks show that we not only reached performance similar to ARM Compiler 5 but also the rapid pace we can get these performance improvements.

Where can I find ARM Compiler 6.3?

ARM Compiler 6.3 is available to download as a standalone product from ds.arm.com. Alternatively, ARM Compiler 6.3 is integrated in the latest release of DS-5 5.23 which can be downloaded here.

Did you evaluate DS-5 already and you don’t know how to get a license again? Claim your evaluation serial number here as explained by Michelle in this blog post.

Do have any questions? Feel free to reply to this blog post or send me an email. Any feedback is very welcome and it helps us to keep ARM Compiler 6 the best compiler for the ARM architecture.

Ciao,
Stefano