New Java microprocessor core promises to improve performance in devices ranging from network computers to smart phones
Sun Microsystems has announced details of its picoJava-I microprocessor core. According to the company, the new JavaChip “is a highly efficient Java execution unit design that is expected to deliver up to 20 times the Java performance of x86 and other general-purpose processor architectures, as well as up to five times the performance obtained by just-in-time (JIT) compilers.” Electronic device manufacturers are already lining up to implement the JavaChip technology in future products. Among the manufacturers that have expressed interest thus far are LG Semiconductor, Mitsubishi Electronics, NEC, and Samsung, as well as Sun’s own manufacturing division. The word coming from Sun is that consumers should expect to see picoJava-based products in the second half of 1997.
“With the performance, flexibility, small footprint, and low power [requirement] offered by picoJava I, Sun’s goal is to establish it as the de facto standard for a new breed of consumer, communications, and network-centric applications,” stated Raj Parekh, vice president and general manager of the High Volume Products Group at Sun Microelectronics. “By licensing the picoJava-I technology, third parties will have the freedom to develop specific solutions for high-growth applications fueled by the Internet and Java technology.”
The picoJava-I architecture consists of a RISC-style pipeline that directly executes the Java Virtual Machine instruction set. This means that software applications written in Java and directly executed by picoJava are expected to be three times smaller in code size and five times faster in execution than they would be using a just-in-time (JIT) compiler, Sun states.
The picoJava-I core is designed for flexibility and performance over a wide range of applications. Designers can configure the picoJava-I core with or without a floating point unit and up to 16KB each of instruction and data cache. The picoJava-I core is also designed to be implemented in a variety of CMOS processes, allowing designers to select process parameters for application-optimized power, performance, and price.
According to Sun’s announcement, licensing is available immediately for preliminary versions of the picoJava-I core specification and core simulator. A picoJava-I core design kit is scheduled for availability by the end of the first quarter of 1997.
