ARM Ltd

ARM (Advanced companies.

A characteristic feature of ARM processors is their low electric power consumption, which makes them particularly suitable for use in portable devices. In fact, almost all modern mobile phones and Personal Digital Assistants contain ARM Central processing units, making them the most widely-used 32-bit microprocessor family in the world, more so than the better-known 32-bit Pentium 4 processors found in many Personal computers. Today ARMs account for over 75% of all 32-bit embedded CPUs.

ARM was a spin-off from Acorn Computers Ltd, intended to further the development of the ARM architecture s RISC chip, which was originally used in the Acorn Archimedes and is now the processing core for many custom application-specific integrated circuits. ARM processors are used as the main CPU for many Personal digital assistants (PDAs) and handhelds, like the Apple Computer iPod, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Gamepark GP32, and Gamepark Holdings GP2X.

Unlike other microprocessor corporations such as AMD, Intel, Motorola and Hitachi, Ltd., ARM only licenses its designs, rather than manufacturing its own CPUs. Thus, there are a few dozen companies making processors based on ARM s designs.

=See also=

See ARM architecture for background information.

=External links=

*[http://www.arm.com Official site] *[http://www.arm.com/aboutarm/ About ARM from the company website]