Enhancing the Capabilities of the Smallest Devices
Arm Helium technology is the M-Profile Vector Extension (MVE) for the Arm Cortex-M processor series. Helium is an extension of the Armv8.1-M architecture and delivers a significant performance uplift for machine learning (ML) and digital signal processing (DSP) applications.
With Helium, Arm Cortex-M processors can manage the compute challenges in many applications, such as audio devices, sensor hubs, keyword spotting, and voice command control, power electronics, communications and still image processing.
There are similarities between Helium and the Advanced SIMD technology for Arm Cortex-A processors, which is called Neon. However, Helium has been designed from the ground-up for efficient signal processing performance in small processors, and provides many new architectural features to unlock new applications.
Many OEMs, software providers, and tools partners within the Arm ecosystem are supporting the development of Helium and are ready to build the next wave of compute.
Helium provides up to five times the performance improvement for common signal processing tasks, and up to 15 times performance uplift for machine learning.
Helium works together with TrustZone to make an excellent base for implementing Platform Security Architecture (PSA) compliant systems.
Developers can benefit from a simple programmer’s model and one toolchain to reduce development efforts and costs.
Interested in speaking with someone about Helium or joining the established Helium ecosystem? Talk to an Arm expert today.
Arm Neon Technology
Neon technology is an advanced single instruction multiple data (SIMD) architecture extension for the Arm Cortex-A series and Cortex-R52 processors. The architecture extension improves the multimedia user experience by accelerating audio and video encoding/decoding, user interface, 2D/3D graphics, and gaming.
CMSIS
CMSIS enables consistent device support and simple software interfaces to the processor and its peripherals, simplifying software reuse, reducing the learning curve for microcontroller developers, and reducing the time to market for new devices.
Platform Security Architecture
Platform Security Architecture (PSA) is a framework offering common security standards to the industry. Through four key phases, it provides analyses, architecture, implementation, and certification.
TrustZone for Cortex-M
Arm TrustZone technology provides system-wide hardware isolation for trusted software. TrustZone for the Armv8-M architecture protects high-value code and data, and creates an isolated secure world to provide confidentiality and integrity to the system.
Armv8.1-M Architecture
Armv8.1-M takes the Armv8-M architecture to new performance levels for the smallest devices. The architecture includes TrustZone and the M-Profile Vector Extension (MVE) used in Helium, and is a primary target of the PSA framework.
Helium Resources
News
Blogs
- Making Helium Part 1: Why not just add Neon?
- Making Helium Part 2: Sudoku, registers and rabbits
- Making Helium Part 3: Going around in circles
- Making Helium Part 4: Bringing Amdahl's law to heel
- Getting started with Arm Helium: The new vector extension for the M-Profile architecture
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