Sceptical About Pandora's Cpu

[MStranger]

Is it a Dual CPU?

Because the wikipedia article leads me to believe it is, but only one processor is ever mentioned.

Is wikipedia wrong?

 

[Tozarian]

From my understanding it is a single core. But I could be wrong.....

 

[MStranger]

From my understanding it is a single core. But I could be wrong.....

I don't understand, why would it be labelled as dual?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora_(console)

 

[AireTamStorm]

Dual SDHC, no dual CPU. Listed as such.

 

[DJWillis]

Is it a Dual CPU?

Because the wikipedia article leads me to believe it is, but only one processor is ever mentioned.

Is wikipedia wrong?

The fact of the matter is simple. There is an ARM Cortex-A8 CPU core in there and a separate TI DSP CPU that can be used. This is in no way an SMP type of system but you do have 2 CPU's (and a whole lot more) that you can use to accomplish various tasks.

Stating it is Dual-CPU is fair but leads to the inevitable linking with SMP etc. from the X86 world and in peoples minds. That is a shame so it is better not to really mention it without an explanation.

 

[MStranger]

Dual SDHC, no dual CPU. Listed as such.

CPU 600MHz OMAP3530 ARM Cortex-A8 (32Bit) and
430MHz TMS320C64x+™ DSP Core, NEON & TRADE SIMD CoProcessor

 

[Chip]

I don't understand, why would it be labelled as dual?

It is not. The OMAP3530 contains a Cortex A8 CPU, a TMS320C64x+ DSP, and a PowerVR SGX GPU. The Cortex A8 is a single core CPU. The other processor cores contained on the die are special-purpose processors. The phrase "dual core" does not appear anywhere in the article.

 

[anexanhume]

Dual SDHC, no dual CPU. Listed as such.

CPU 600MHz OMAP3530 ARM Cortex-A8 (32Bit) and
430MHz TMS320C64x+™ DSP Core, NEON & TRADE SIMD CoProcessor

The DSP is not a stand-alone core in itself is the heart of the matter. You need the cortex core to actually run and boot an OS. The DSP is intended for video decoding and stuff like that, but can be made to do more because you can use the CPU to issue it different types of things to accomplish (as has been mentioned in other threads).

edit: Chip beat me to it.

By the same token, the SGX core is also a co-processor, even then it's intended to push polygons. There's a lot of buzz about using GPU cores as general purpose processors, but you still need a traditional CPU like an ARM core or an Intel core to run the show.

 

[AireTamStorm]

Co Processor != Dual CPU. Unfortunately the term is somewhat confused with SMP, as DJWillis suggested.

 

[Aries]

Dual SDHC, no dual CPU. Listed as such.

CPU 600MHz OMAP3530 ARM Cortex-A8 (32Bit) and
430MHz TMS320C64x+™ DSP Core, NEON & TRADE SIMD CoProcessor


There's a difffence between having 2 cpu and 1 dual-core cpu, no assumption have ever been made of a dual cpu, you made it up in your head buddy!

 

[God Ginrai]

[Quoting someones error just to laugh at them, Nice. (Plus they fixed the error within minutes). Removed]

 

[MStranger]

There's a difffence between having 2 cpu and 1 dual-core cpu, no assumption have ever been made of a dual cpu, you made it up in your head buddy!

The "and" threw me off. I mean with an Intel Core 2 Duo one doesn't say Intel Core and Intel Core.

 

[anexanhume]

There's a difffence between having 2 cpu and 1 dual-core cpu, no assumption have ever been made of a dual cpu, you made it up in your head buddy!

The "and" threw me off. I mean with an Intel Core 2 Duo one doesn't say Intel Core and Intel Core.

The number refers to the generation of processor, not the number of cores. Thus, the first of the dual-core Core series was called "Core Duo", and similarly, the current generation quad cores are called "Core 2 Quad" Next gen dual and quad cores will be "Core 3 Duo" and "Core 3 Quad" if that is what Intel decides to call Nehalem processors.

Dual-core means two integrated cores in the same die. As for the OMAP 3530 SoC, I have no idea whether or not these co-processors reside on the same die, or just in the same package.

 

[bob vansteel]

QUOTE
I mean with an Intel Core 2 Duo one doesn't say Intel Core and Intel Core.

(ya so it must be two cpu's)

didn't you basicly just prove yourself wrong...and answer your own question...

 

[CyruzDraxs]

The usage of the term 'dual-core' has become rather ambiguous; the OMAP3 has a Cortex-A8 CPU and a DSP, which is separate in that it requires the Cortex's cache and various other hardware. Dual-core processors are exactly the same--the second core shares the same hardware with the primary processor. There really isn't any distinct difference between dual-core and CPU+DSP aside from dual-core is usually assumed to mean two identical cores.