The incredible growth of processing parallelism has resulted in a corresponding explosion of performance and capabilities, but not all cores and threads are created equally. For mainstream computer users, such as the vast majority of Microsoft Windows users, the detailed usage of cores and threads is not important for the user to understand. When done editing a document, we hit the <SAVE> icon, and all the magic happens under the hood. But for designers of critical real-time processing systems, what happens under the hood matters.
This 2-part White Paper series explores the performance details of today’s latest multi-core and hybrid-core processors to guide software developers and systems designers who need to understand what happens under the hood and exert tight control over their processing systems.
In Part 1 of the series, we provide foundational background on the evolution of modern processors, establishing important characteristics of single-core, multi-core, and hyperthreading processor architectures. We introduce the concept of a hybrid-core processor architecture, where not all cores are created equal. Finally, we explore how today’s popular operating systems use hybrid-core processors.
Aaron Frank
Senior Product Manager
Aaron Frank joined Curtiss-Wright in January 2010. As a Senior Product Manager within the C5ISR group, he is responsible for a wide range of COTS products utilizing advanced processing, video graphics/GPU and network switching technologies in many industry-standard module formats (VME, VPX, etc.). His focus includes product development and marketing strategies, technology roadmaps, and being a subject matter expert to the sales team and with customers. Aaron has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Waterloo.
