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.
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 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 (PSA) is a framework offering common security standards to the industry. Through four key phases, it provides analyses, architecture, implementation, and certification.
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 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
Explore the latest industry insights and technical documentation available for Helium technology:
News
Blog
- Getting started with Arm Helium: The new vector extension for the M-Profile architecture
- Making Helium: Why not just add Neon?
Whitepaper:
