For a new beginner to arm based microcontrollers, it can sometimes be a little tricky to know where to start to find all the useful information that will help with a new design. There are many resources available on the internet, and a good place to start by choosing the right arm processor for your application may be the first hurdle.
To begin with, there are two main types of Arm processors:
• Application processors are suitable for a full-featured operating system, eg Linux, Windows RT, etc. They are typically used in smartphones, mobile computing devices and even servers. The Arm Cortex-A family of processors is suitable for these applications.
• Embedded processors - these typically include microcontroller products, as well as a wide range of other embedded systems. The Cortex-M arm family of processors is very popular in the microcontroller market, and the Cortex-R processor family is typically used in specialized controllers such as hard drives, automotive applications and baseband control.
In recent years, a growing number of low-cost microcontrollers based on Cortex-A processors have been introduced. These microcontrollers enable integrated systems to run full Linux or Android at a fraction of the cost of a traditional COM (computer-on-module).