Raspberry Pi_Eng_02.2 SoC, CPU and Memory


Published Book on Amazon


All of IOT Starting with the Latest Raspberry Pi from Beginner to Advanced – Volume 1
All of IOT Starting with the Latest Raspberry Pi from Beginner to Advanced – Volume 2


출판된 한글판 도서


최신 라즈베리파이(Raspberry Pi)로 시작하는 사물인터넷(IOT)의 모든 것 – 초보에서 고급까지 (상)
최신 라즈베리파이(Raspberry Pi)로 시작하는 사물인터넷(IOT)의 모든 것 – 초보에서 고급까지 (하)


Original Book Contents


2.2   SoC, CPU and Memory

 

   System on a Chip(SoC) 

 

Raspberry Pi is a System on a Chip (SoC) type computer. System on a Chip (SoC) refers to the way in which all electronic components required for computer operation are concentrated on one chip. In this method, the CPU, GPU, USB controller, RAM, Northbridge, Southbridge, and other components are compressed and bundled together on one chip without installing separate chips.

 

Raspberry Pi uses the Broadcom Broadcom BCM28xx series chipset. This chipset is a one-board computer with CPU, GPU, DSP, SDR, and SDRAM all on one board. The Raspberry Pi 1 is equipped with the Broadcom BCM2835, the Raspberry Pi 2 is equipped with the Broadcom BCM2836, and the Raspberry Pi 3 is equipped with the Broadcom BCM2837 chipset.

 

 

   ARM-based CPU

 

Our popular PCs are usually equipped with Intel or AMD processors, while Raspberry Pi is equipped with ARM-based CPUs. All CPUs have the ability to run programs though, but they have a set of instructions that they can understand. Therefore, programs running on regular PCs with Intel or AMD processors can not be used directly on ARM CPUs.

 

Compared to the general PC CPU, ARM CPU has the feature of low power consumption and low heat generatio. Originally ARM CPU is a CPU that has been developed and used in embedded software in hardware system used for automation in machine or process equipment. Low power consumption and low heat generation are one of the most important characteristics in those environments. Because of this feature, it is now used in smart phone, and it is widely used in various household appliances and automobiles.

 

Another feature of ARM CPUs is price/performance. Of course, the performance is lower than that of a regular PC, but it has sufficient performance to run programs on Raspberry Pi, but the price is relatively cheap, so it is not burdensome to use.

 

Raspberry Pi uses ARM CPUs manufactured by Broadcom. Raspberry Pi 1 model is equipped with 700MHz ARM1176JZF-S Single-Core CPU, Raspberry Pi 2 model B is equipped with 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU, and the most recent model, the Raspberry Pi 3 model B, is equipped with a 1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core ARMv8 CPU, which is much more powerful.

 

 

   GPU

 

The GPU is one type of CPU and designed to handle the complex mathematical computations required to render display content. At Raspberry Pi, the GPU plays an important role in processing fast and clear images by quickly and accurately processing high-quality displays and decoding video streams.

 

Raspberry Pi supports the high-performance display by installing Broadcom Dual VideoCore IV 3D graphics core from the previous model.

 

 

   Memory

 

On the computer, memory is a storage device used to temporarily store programs or data in the process of running an operating system or a general program.

 

Raspberry Pi 1 model A has 256 MB installed, and Raspberry Pi 1 model B has 512 MB installed. In contrast, the Raspberry Pi 2 model B is equipped with 1 GB of RAM, twice the previous capacity, enabling larger and more powerful programs to run.

 

In Raspberry Pi, there are two processes, CPU and GPU. CPU and GPU are designed to use this memory jointly.

 

The memory installed in Raspberry Pi is relatively small compared to a regular PC. However, it may be not sufficient to run a large application with a big size of program, but it can run most operating systems, and there is no problem in running a normal application programs.