PowerPC

PowerPC (PPC ) is a by a consortium consisting of Apple, IBM and Motorola (now Freescale ) 1991 - also abbreviated AIM - specified CPU architecture.

The name is an acronym PowerPC, with power for performance optimization with enhanced RISC ( performance optimization through improved RISC ) ​​and PC Performance Chip ( high-performance chip ) is.

Technology and application areas

PowerPC is now a 64- bit processor architecture for RISC - wide basis, including 32 -bit versions are available ( at IBM " subset " called ). PowerPC floating-point master double and single precision and work in big-endian mode, but some processor models can also switch to little-endian mode. Almost all processors newer design also have developed by Motorola AltiVec vector unit or the IBM equivalent VMX. AltiVec was introduced known as the Power PC 7400 PowerPC G4. The latest addition to the family is the dual-core processor IBM PPC970MP; the forerunner of IBM PPC970FX came into the Macintosh G5 with up to 2.7 GHz clock frequency used. The IBM PPC970MP was used in the last generation of Power Mac G5, with 2.0 GHz and 2.3 GHz in the small and medium-sized model and the dual- mode ( four cores) 2.5 GHz in the top model Power Mac G5 Quad 2.5 GHz. A special feature of the Gekko (CPU in GameCube ) has special commands that allow pairwise single- precision floating point, which are in floating point registers can be edited. The opcodes of the instructions overlap with those of the AltiVec instructions.

Computer

PowerPC processors are used, inter alia, in the IBM pSeries ( RS/6000 ) IBM BladeCenter JS20 and in and in the Motorola PowerStack computers. Since 1996, Amiga computers based on PowerPC processors effectively, and also compatible systems such as Pegasos computer from Genesi and the AmigaOne Eyetech put it on.

Apple used the processors 1994-2006, but then changed to x86 processors from Intel. However, Apple bought in April 2008, the Company PA Semi, which developed a particularly energy-saving device of the G5 processors. The objective of this business was initially unclear, later turned out that Apple used the so purchased expertise for developing their own processors.

Embedded Systems

In many embedded systems are PowerPC processors used.

For home users, these are, for example, digital receiver such as the d-box 2 ( PPC823 ) or the Dreambox ( PPC405 ), and games consoles such as the Nintendo GameCube and Wii and WiiU, the Xbox 360 from Microsoft, as well as (in the form of the cell), the PlayStation 3 from Sony.

Even in cars and in the civil and military aerospace, the PowerPC architecture is employed. Several sent to Mars orbiter and lander based on different PowerPC variants, for example, used the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter protected against radiation variant of the G3. The F -22 Raptor, the AN/ALR-93 or AN/ALQ-135M use PowerPC CPUs, especially in the field of signal processing.

History and Future

The consortium was established at the initiative of Apple, the (now Freescale ) a successor for the 680x0 processors used by Motorola examined them. Developed by IBM for its high-end workstations POWER processor was because of its powerful and extensible architecture an interesting candidate, but far too expensive to produce, since it is still negotiated at the time a module with multiple chips. Motorola brought into the development of the memory management and buffer unit of its 88000 - RISC processors (the 88k family has been set then the 68k family still exists today as a microcontroller and also forms the basis for this compatible ColdFire family ).

Simultaneously with the development of the PowerPC processors also the Reference Platform PReP (PowerPC Reference Platform ) was created, which was to become the competition against the established Intel -based PCs. It was then shown, however, that the alliance of the three companies was not in all respects an opinion; and the already rather modest efforts went later in the sand.

PReP was later replaced by CHRP ( Common Hardware Reference Platform). The most recent, commercially available youngest member of the family was the IBM -certified by Genesi Pegasos, which was also distributed by Freescale.

On June 6, 2005 Apple announced to abandon the PowerPC architecture and the future to manufacture PC systems with Intel processors ( x86).

In an article published on 6 December 2005 interview reiterated the CEO of Freescale, Michel Mayer, including as a consequence of this decision, if necessary, rename the PowerPC series and continue to market not to the Desktop-/Laptop- to care market.

At the end of June 2005, held the 20th International Supercomputer Conference ISC 2005, also showed that six of the ten fastest computers in the world at this time based on PowerPC, five of them on the PowerPC 440 ( eServer Blue Gene ).

The focus of the applications of the PowerPC architecture thus placed at the two ends of the scale: the area of embedded systems on the one hand and the high-performance server area on the other.

PowerPC generations and models (selection)

First generation G1

  • MPC601 - 50, 66, 80 and 100 MHz, 32 Kbyte unified L1 cache, L2 cache up to 1 MB; 0.6 micron manufacturing process (1993, used among others in the first generation Power Mac )
  • MPC601 - 110 and 120 MHz, otherwise MPC601; 0.6 micron manufacturing process
  • MPC602 - specifically for embedded applications ( multiplexed Daten-/Adressbus ); 0.6 micron manufacturing process

Second Generation G2

  • MPC603 - 66-80 MHz, 16K ( 8K Instruction, 8 Kbytes of data), L2 cache up to 1 MB; especially for mobile and " low cost " area; 0.5 micron manufacturing process
  • MPC603e - 100 to 200 MHz, 166 MHz and 32 KB L1 cache ( 16K Instruction, 16K data ) L2 cache up to 1 MB (larger L1 caches for better 68k emulator performance); 0.5 micron manufacturing process
  • MPC603ev - 225-300 MHz, 32 KB L1 cache ( 16K Instruction, 16K data ) L2 cache up to 1 MB; 0.35 micron manufacturing process
  • MPC604 - 100 to 180 MHz, 32 KB L1 cache ( 16K Instruction, 16K data ) L2 cache up to 1 MB; was 604 before the 603 available (1994 ) and the first high-end PowerPC; 0.5 micron manufacturing process
  • MPC604e - 166-233 MHz, 64 KB L1 cache ( 32KB instruction, 32KB Data), L2 cache up to 1 MB; 0.35 micron manufacturing process
  • MPC604r - 250-375 MHz, 64 KB L1 cache ( 32KB instruction, 32KB Data), L2 inline cache to 1 MB; 0.25 micron manufacturing process (300 - and 350 - MHz model ) or 0.35 microns ( 250 - MHz model ), code-named " Mach 5 " and "Helm Wind "
  • MPC620 - 64 KB L1 cache ( 32KB instruction, 32KB Data ), 1 to 128 Mbytes L2 cache; the first 64-bit PowerPC implementation ( not POWER)
  • X704 BiCOMOS PowerPC implementation of Exponential Technologies ( never available)

Third Generation G3

  • MPC750 - 200-366 MHz, 0.25 micron manufacturing process, codenamed " Arthur ", introduced in 1997
  • MPC750CX - 350 to 550 MHz, 64 KB L1 cache ( 32KB instruction, 32KB Data), 256 KB on-chip L2 cache, 0.18 micron manufacturing process; Codename " Sidewinder "
  • MPC750CXe - 400 to 700 MHz, 350 to 550 MHz, 64 KB L1 cache ( 32KB instruction, 32KB Data), 256 KB on-chip L2 cache, L3 cache possible externally, 0.18 micron manufacturing process; Code name " Anaconda "
  • MPC750FX - 600 to 1000 MHz, 64 KB L1 cache ( 32KB instruction, 32KB Data), 512 KB on-chip L2 cache, L3 cache possible externally, 0.13 micron manufacturing process; Code name "Sahara"
  • MPC750GX - 733-1000 MHz, 64 KB L1 cache ( 32KB instruction, 32KB Data), 1024 KB on-chip L2 cache, L3 cache possible externally, 0.13 micron manufacturing process; Code name " Gobi "
  • Gekko 485 MHz ( used in the Nintendo GameCube )
  • RAD750 - Radiation-resistant version for applications in space

Fourth generation G4

  • MPC7400 - 350 to 500 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, 2 MB L2 cache maximum (ECC and non-ECC ), power dissipation max. 11 Watt, first PowerPC with AltiVec, codenamed "Max"
  • MPC7410 - 400 to 550 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, 2 MB L2 cache maximum (ECC and non-ECC ), power dissipation max. 11 Watt
  • MPC7441 - 600 and 700 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, 256 KB L2 cache on chip, a maximum of 2 MB of L3 cache; Low power version of the 7450/7451
  • MPC7445 - 600 to 1000 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, 256 KB L2 cache on chip power dissipation max. 26 Watt
  • MPC7447 - 600-1267 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, 256 or 512 KB L2 cache on chip power dissipation max. 26 watts, no L3 cache
  • MPC7447A - 600-1420 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, 512 KB L2 cache on chip power dissipation max. 29 Watt
  • MPC7448 - 600 to 2000 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, 1024 KB L2 cache with ECC -on-chip, power dissipation is about 10 watts at 1.5 GHz
  • MPC7450 - 533-867 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, code name " Voyager "
  • MPC745 - 300 to 350 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, power dissipation max. 5.3 Watt
  • MPC7451 - 533-867 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, 256 KB L2 cache on chip, a maximum of 2 MB of L3 cache
  • MPC7455 - 600-1425 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, 256 KB L2 cache on chip, a maximum of 2 MB of L3 cache, power dissipation max. 45 Watt, codenamed "Apollo"
  • MPC7457 - 600-1333 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, 512 KB L2 cache on chip, a maximum of 2 MB of L3 cache, power dissipation max. 25 Watt
  • MPC755 - 300 to 400 MHz, 32 KByte/32 KByte Data / Instruction L1 cache, up to 1 MB of L3 cache, power dissipation max. 8 Watt

Fifth generation G5

  • 970-64 - bit implementation, derived from the IBM POWER4 expanded to VMX ( IBM's equivalent to Motorola's AltiVec ) at 1.4 GHz, 1.6 GHz, 1.8 GHz, and 2.0 GHz (2003)
  • 970FX - overclocked up to 2.5 GHz (2004), from Apple to 2.7 GHz
  • 970MP - Dual Core with 1.4 to 2.3 GHz (2005), overclocked to 2.5GHz by Apple; Code name "Antares"
  • 970GX - up to 3 GHz. At 1.6 GHz 16 W power, 85 W at 3 GHz (2006)

Operating Systems

  • IBM i for Business
  • Apple Mac OS System 7.1.2 and Mac OS X to 10.5.8 leopard
  • Darwin or OpenDarwin
  • Linux ( LinuxPPC )
  • Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0
  • Sun Solaris (Release 2.5.1 ) or " Polaris "
  • IBM AIX
  • OS-9
  • PikeOS
  • INTEGRITY real-time operating system from Green Hills
  • NetBSD
  • OpenBSD
  • FreeBSD
  • Plan 9
  • AmigaOS (version 4)
  • AROS
  • PowerUP / WarpUP PowerPC kernel ( for AmigaOS up to version 3.9)
  • MorphOS
  • IBM OS / 2 Warp Power Edition
  • QNX
  • MQX
  • Munix
  • VxWorks
Freescale Semiconductor 64-bit computing Endianness International Supercomputing Conference phase5 PowerPC 7xx Mac OS X Leopard Darwin (operating system) BeOS Plan 9 from Bell Labs AROS Research Operating System Motorola 6800 Motorola 6809 Freescale DragonBall Motorola 68881 Memory Management Unit PowerPC e200 PowerPC e300 QorIQ
658699
de