ARM has announced the Cortex M7, its latest system-on-chip designed for embedded devices and the Internet of Things (IoT).
The chip will complement and replace the Cortex M4. ARM claims it is twice as fast as the M4 and it offers a range of new features. The chip can handle more displays, control more components like motors, it has advanced touch sensing, more connectivity options and it can handle more voice controls.
The M7 is a 64-bit part and the company says it has two levels of cache for efficient memory operations. Thanks to more speed, the chip is a tad more responsive, making it more suitable for drones.
ARM said the added oomph will enable richer user interfaces and operating systems in embedded devices. Migration should not be a problem, as the chip was designed to enable simple migration from previous Cortex M-series chips.
So far ARM has shipped more than 8 million Cortex M parts.