Google Tensor is an Android chip that lacks independent design and uses existing resources for differentiation

The true meaning of Google Tensor is probably before Google has fully invested in its own architecture development, and before the chip manufacturer’s chip meets Google’s requirements for architecture design, Google uses the ready-made Arm IP as the basis and makes a significant difference with other products.

Arm’s ecology is diverse and open. Arm can provide the most basic CPU instruction set authorized to complete CPU and GPU micro-architectures. In recent years, it has provided Ethos neural network accelerators, etc., which means that chip vendors can use these ready-made IP Combine and match one’s own professional field to construct a usable SoC platform.

Taking Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 and Samsung Exynos 2100 as examples, deducting some details, the two are basically similar in CPU architecture and configuration planning. Only the GPU adopts Qualcomm’s own Adreno and Arm’s Mali.

In addition, MediaTek’s Dimensity series CPUs and GPUs also use Arm’s standard micro-architecture IP. Therefore, unless they have complete independent architecture planning and research and development capabilities such as Apple, the high-end mobile phone SoC after a certain level is a competition how to squeeze the limits of the process. More transistors and clocks.

Even if Apple did not adopt its own architecture at the beginning, it was learning by doing along the way, gradually shifting from Samsung foundry processors to self-designed CPUs with Imagination Technologies GPUs, and slowly began to accumulate technology and patents to a certain level. With independent CPU and GPU architecture.

Although it cannot be ruled out that Google has invested in independent architecture design, don’t forget that the so-called independent R&D not only requires R&D kinetic energy, but also pay attention to whether the architecture design involves patents in other industries. Otherwise, the subsequent patent war will only Consuming more energy, the basic architecture of this Google Tensor that was born out of nowhere is the product of the Arm standard IP.