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Re: [oc] Xscale, etc. and IP
Aloha!
shr@chat.net wrote:
> I am thinking about starting my own opencore project for fun and
> learning. One of the first thoughts that popped into my head was to
> create a simple clone of the Xscale processor, and even if noone ever
> ended up using what I created then I would at least have a better
> understanding of it.
>
> But I am afraid of potential IP (intellectual property) issues. In
> other words if I try to post my code up on this site will Intel come
> after me and prevent it from being published?
Xscale is the next generation StrongARM processor that Intel aquired when the
bought the Hudson fab from Digital (they didn't get the designers though). In
IP-terms Xscale is therefore the best of two worlds:
It's an ARM processor, meaning that an unlicensed core might enrage ARM Ltd,
which have proven to be hot on these things. And it's an Intel product which
means that you might get the biggest chip vendor in the world against you. ;-)
IANAL, but you could probably do your own model of it, learn a lot from it and
have a great time doing it. Just don't release it.
StrongARM/Xscale is a great MCU so it's very educational just to study the ISA
and published architectual documents. What's really making it good however is
the physical implementation. Not sure how much have been published about the
physical implementation of the StrongARM/Xscale.
Side note: The designers of StrongARM quit when Intel bought the fab, split
into two teams and started two new companies: SiByte and Alchemy. Both
developed MIPS-bases CPU/MCUs with extremely good performance/W ratios. SiByte
is now a Broadcom company and Alchemy is AMD.
--
Med vänlig hälsning, Yours
Joachim Strömbergson - Alltid i harmonisk svängning.
VP, Research & Development
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