MIRA Sidebar: SrongARM Successor: Intel XScale XScale is Intel's name for a successor to the StrongARM microprocessor. The "scale" in XScale refers to the CPU's ability to dynamically change both frequency and voltage to minimize power consumption. The "PXA250" is the Intel XScale CPU that will appear in some Mira products. In Run mode at 300 MHz, the PXA250 draws about 400 mW of power. In comparison, the StrongARM SA-1110 (used in most of today's Windows CE devices) in Run mode at 206 MHz draws 800 mW. This majority of this improvement comes from a change in process from 0.35 microns to 0.18 microns; the balance comes from architecture improvements. The core of the XScale CPU incorporates a new version of ARM architecture that is 100% compatible with existing application software. ARM (Advanced RISC Machines, www.arm.com) is a company in Cambridge, England that designs microprocessor cores and licenses them to over 70 semiconductor companies (including Intel). ARM's designs are found in about 75% of all 32-bit RISC microprocessors. ARM's next version (after the one currently used in the XScale) will boost initial clock speeds into the range of 350-500 MHz, compared with 200-400 MHz for the PXA250.
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