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How would you classify XMOS?

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:58 pm
by yzoer
Microcontroller? Microprocessor? Multicore processor?

Considering it's so versatile / powerful, I have a hard time calling it a microconroller... Just wondering what everyone else thinks :-)

-Yvo

Re: How would you classify XMOS?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 4:19 am
by Gravis
i gave this topic some serious thought and i would call it a microcontroller because it has everything it needs to function as an independent system. as for being powerful, there are ARM chips that are also powerful but are still classified as microcontrollers as they too can function on their own.

the hardware threading and multiple cores are features but like multicore cpus, they are still classified as microprocessors. to include the threading, i would call it a threadcontroller. however, i wouldnt say it has multiple cores, i would say it has networked cores because multicore processors cant really communicate with each other. however, IBM described their design as being a cell processor. to include all the features, i would call it a cell threadcontroller.

however, it's still a microcontroller.