ARM Architecture - Licensees

Licensees

The ARM architecture is licensable. Companies that are current or former ARM licensees include Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Alcatel-Lucent, Apple Inc., AppliedMicro, Atmel, Broadcom, Cirrus Logic, CSR plc, Digital Equipment Corporation, Ember, Energy Micro, Freescale, Fujitsu, Fuzhou Rockchip, Huawei, Intel (through DEC), LG, Marvell Technology Group, Microsemi, Microsoft, NEC, Nintendo, Nuvoton, Nvidia, NXP (formerly Philips Semiconductor), Oki, ON Semiconductor, Panasonic, Qualcomm, Renesas, Research In Motion, Samsung, Sharp, Silicon Labs, Sony, ST-Ericsson, STMicroelectronics, Symbios Logic, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, Yamaha, and ZiiLABS.

In addition to the abstract architecture, ARM offers several microprocessor core designs, including the ARM7, ARM9, ARM11, Cortex-A8, Cortex-A9, and Cortex-A15. Companies often license these designs from ARM to manufacture and integrate into their own system on a chip (SoC) with other components like RAM, GPUs, or radio basebands (for mobile phones).

System-on-chip packages integrating ARM's core designs include Nvidia Tegra's first three generations, CSR plc's Quatro family, ST-Ericsson's Nova and NovaThor, Silicon Labs's Precision32 MCU, Texas Instruments's OMAP products, Samsung's Hummingbird and Exynos products, Apple's Ax SoC line, and Freescale's i.MX.

Companies can also obtain an ARM architectural license for designing their own, different CPU cores using the ARM instruction set. Distinct ARM architecture implementations by licensees include Apple's A6, AppliedMicro's X-Gene, Qualcomm's Snapdragon and Krait, DEC's StrongARM, Marvell (formerly Intel) XScale, and Nvidia's planned Project Denver.