The micro-controller I have chosen is the Arm Cortex A8. This chip will be used in the upcoming Arduino Tre which will make it the most powerful Arduino to date.
It features a 1GHZ processor which is very fast compared to previous Arduinos making it similar to processors in budget smart phones. Being a relatively powerful chip opens one options allowing them to do more. It is defientily overkill for any project that I can do but I like the idea of being able to update whatever project I end up doing and knowing the chip can handle the task. The Arduino Tre will also be able to run Linux which I am a big fan of due to its simplicity and its the fastest OS I’ve ever used. I think it makes logical sense that a board that is used to do anything can be used by a program that is easily accessible to anyone.
Here are some applications the chip can be used for from ARM’s website,
Smartphone | Application processor running fully featured mobile OS |
Netbook | Power-efficient main processor running desktop OS |
Set-top Box | Main processor for managing Rich OS, Multi-format A/V and UI |
Digital TV | Processor for managing Rich OS, UI, browser |
Home Networking | Control processor for system management |
Storage Networking (HDD, SSD) | Control processor to manage traffic flow |
Printer | High-performance integrated processor |