From: eLinux.org
Here is a list of different processor families, with miscellaneous notes for development information:
See also Hardware Hacking for a list of systems that include these processors.
The ARC 770D 32-bit RISC processor from the DesignWare ARC Processor IP family is optimized for running Linux. The latest version of ARC Linux is available from kernel.org and older versions as well as the GNU toolchain and several other packages like U-boot and Buildroot for ARC are available via GitHub.
More information from Synopsys:
See ARM website and the Wikipedia ARM article for information about the ARM architecture and processor family.
From the Linux perspective, there are 2 very different kinds of ARM chips:
Please note that because of security considerations for MMU-less processors, it is unwise to use them when 3rd-party or untrusted code will be running on the device. For locked-down, single function devices, MMU-less processors may be appropriate. They are usually less expensive than processors with MMU.
Some major ARM platforms/SOCs are:
Information about MIPS processor architecture can be found here. For the Linux port information can be found here.
Processors based on MIPS architecture include
Built by Renesas Technology the webpage of record for the SuperH family of microprocessors can be found here: SuperH RISC Engine Family.
Wikipedia Page: SuperH
Linux on SuperH: linux-sh
SuperH is an embedded RISC developed for high cost-performance, miniaturization, and performance per unit of power consumption (MIPS/W). We are developing CPU cores for a wide range of applications and functions and have many products available. Our product lines include a series with the SH-2 as the CPU core and on-chip large-capacity flash memory and peripheral functions such as timer, serial I/O, and AD converter, and a series with the SH-3 or SH-4 as the CPU core, which achieves high-speed data processing and is equipped with cache and MMU. Additionally, there is lineup of series with the SH2-DSP or SH3-DSP as the CPU core, which have full DSP functions and an emphasis on multimedia and communications processing. Currently available products also have lots of features, such as low power modes, low power consumption, and small size. Various versatile operating systems and development tools have been improved, allowing for more efficient development.
Some processors and tools for PowerPC are
The DENX Embedded Linux Development Kit (ELDK) provides a complete and powerful software development environment for embedded and real-time systems. It is available for ARM, PowerPC and MIPS processors and consists of:
* Cross Development Tools (Compiler, Assembler, Linker etc.) to develop software for the target system.
* Native Tools (Shell, commands and libraries) which provide a standard Linux development environment that runs on the target system.
* U-Boot - Firmware that can be easily ported to new boards and processors.
* Linux - Kernel including the complete source-code with all device drivers, board-support functions etc.
* Xenomai - Real-Time and RTOS Emulation Framework
* SELF (Simple Embedded Linux Framework) as fundament to build your embedded systems on.
All components of the ELDK are available for free with complete source code under GPL and other Free Software Licenses. Also, detailed instructions to rebuild all the tools and packages from scratch are included.
The ELDK can be downloaded for free from several mirror sites or ordered on CD-ROM for a nominal charge (99 Euro). To order the CD please contact [email protected]
Detailed information about the ELDK is available here.
CE2110 Media Processor
The highly integrated Intel CE 2110 Media Processor helps to simplify the design of consumer electronics products with reduced BOM cost. The integrated Intel XScale® processor core at 1GHz provides processing performance and headroom to deploy new revenue-generating applications. Hardware-based decode of widely used video codecs (MPEG-2, H.264) maximizes system-level performance by enabling the processor core to be used exclusively for applications.
The Intel CE 2110 Media Processor also includes an Intel® Micro Signal Architecture (Intel® MSA) DSP core for audio codecs, a PowerVR* 2D/3D graphics accelerator, hardware accelerators for encryption and decryption, comprehensive peripheral interfaces, analog and digital input/outputs, and a transport interface for ATSC/DVB input.
Geode from AMD
AMD Geode GX / CS5535
AMD Geode LX / CS5536
Graphical representation of Intel x86 processors from i386 - present on Meld.org
In 2010 Atmel stopped the further development of the AP7000 processor.
The Freescale m68k family includes:
Resources: