Overview

We Standardize, You Innovate

Arm provides system architectures free of charge to help designers develop secure and efficient systems with ease. These architectures offer standardized components and interfaces that address common design challenges, striking the right balance between consistency and flexibility, to reduce development cost and accelerate time to market for system‑on‑chip (SoC) solutions.

 

Delivered in collaboration with Arm ecosystem partners, these system architectures do not impose mandates, yet they provide clear benefits when designing systems using off‑the‑shelf components or operating systems.

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Features and Benefits

Performance. Compatibility. Efficiency. 

Arm system architectures define hardware, firmware, and software interfaces that help streamline integration of CPUs with memory, storage, and accelerators—reducing complexity and time to market.
Security

We combine rigorous security principles, best practices, and industry knowledge to enable secure platform designs. See our Security Architectures framework.
Widely Applicable

Our system architectures cover a diverse range of products across many market segments including automotive, embedded, IoT, mobile, server and infrastructure, and machine learning.
Enabling Innovation

We provide just enough standardization to tackle common problems while empowering partners to add their own value and differentiation.
Baseline Compatibility

Standardized Foundations for Scalable, Interoperable Systems

We help you consistently combine Arm-specific interfaces and industry-standard interfaces to achieve a base level of compatibility across implementations for common market problems.

Operating System icon

Generic Operating System Support

We enable the use of off-the-shelf operating systems with standard firmware and hardware capabilities. Arm SystemReady helps partners achieve and declare compliance for common OS environments.

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Chiplet icon

Chiplet Architecture

We let you design chiplets that can be customized and incorporated into multiple systems using standard system partitioning and connectivity.

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Server Management icon

Server Management

We expose essential features expected by datacenter and enterprise users, ranging from remote server monitoring and control to deployment, hardware lifecycle management, and fault management and troubleshooting.

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Software Standards

Enabling Seamless Performance and Portability Through Software Standard

System Hardware

Unified Standards for Component and Software Integration

AMBA

Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture

The Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture (AMBA) is a freely available, open set of standards for the connection and management of functional blocks in a system-on-chip (SoC).

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Key Takeaways

  • Free and Open System Architecture Standards
    Arm offers free system architecture specifications that guide the design of secure, efficient systems. These include definitions across hardware, firmware, and software components, enabling interoperability and ecosystem-wide adoption.
  • Balanced Standardization That Enables Innovation
    The architecture defines just enough standard interfaces to tackle common design challenges, promoting reuse and consistency, while preserving flexibility for developers to maintain design differentiation and creativity.
  • Optional But Often Critical for Compatibility
    While adoption isn't mandatory, these system architectures are particularly useful in key markets like IoT, mobile, infrastructure, and automotive. They help ensure compatibility, especially when integrating off-the-shelf components or software platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Arm System Architectures?

Arm System Architectures are a set of open standards co-developed with ecosystem partners to define consistent interfaces between hardware, firmware, and software components. They promote interoperability, reuse, and secure system design across a wide range of platforms. These architectures complement industry standards by addressing Arm-specific requirements.

Are systems required to implement these architectures?

Arm does not mandate their use. However, compliance is often essential in certain markets or advantageous when using off-the-shelf components and operating systems. Arm actively supports adoption by contributing to open-source projects and providing compliance tools. As a result these architectures are widely adopted across mobile, embedded, automotive, IoT, and datacenter markets by SoC vendors, OEMs, firmware developers, operating system maintainers, and other ecosystem partners.

Are Arm system architectures free to use?

Yes. All published Arm system architecture specifications are freely available to support broad ecosystem collaboration and compatibility.

How does this relate to Arm SystemReady?

SystemReady is Arm’s compliance program that ensures platforms conform to system architecture standards such as BSA (Base System Architecture) and BBR (Base Boot Requirements). It helps ensure broad OS support and simplifies platform integration.

Where can I get a high-level overview of the Arm System Architectures?

The Learn the architecture - Arm System Architectures guide offers a clear, high-level introduction to the major Arm system architecture standards and explains where they are commonly applied. It’s a great starting point for understand how these standards support interoperability and platform consistency.

Talk with an Expert

Starting off on the right foundation for your product or project is critical. Talk with an Arm expert to learn more about which architecture is right for you.

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