Advanced RISC Machines - Definition and Overview

ARM Holdings is a microprocessor company founded in 1990 by Hermann Hauser. The name is derived from "Advanced RISC Machines". The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: ARM) and NASDAQ (symbol: ARMHY).

The Cambridge-based company was a spin-off from Acorn Computers Ltd to further the development of the Acorn RISC Machine (ARM) RISC chip, which was originally used in the Acorn Archimedes and is now the processing core for many custom ASICs. ARM processors are used as main CPU for a lot of PDAs and handhelds, like the Nintendo Game Boy Advance or the Gamepark GP32. But the highest volume application of ARM CPUs is in cellular telephones, where their low-power consumption is of extreme importance. In fact, almost all modern cell phones are powered by ARM CPUs. This has resulted in ARM CPUs being the highest volume 32-bit microprocessor family manufactured in the world.

An interesting differentiation compared to other processor families (such as Pentium, PowerPC, Hitachi's SH, ...) is that ARM does not manufacture CPUs. They only license their design. Thus, there are a few dozen companies making processors based on ARM's designs.

See also ARM architecture for background information.

External links

• ARM's About page (http://www.arm.com/aboutarm)