Re: Distinction

[Steve Graegert <graegerts@gmail.com>]

On 9/13/05, kaushal <kaushal@rocsys.com> wrote:
> hi steve,
> 
>       The details are little confusing.If I consider the case of x86
> ARCHITECTURE,as an example,can I say:
>     Architecture  X86
>     Platform       ?
>     Variants       PI,PII,PIII,Athlon,...
>     core           ?

Kaushal,

I have chosen not to describe the differences between these terms,
because it is hard to differentiate between "platform" and
"architecture".  One could argue that AMD64 is an architecture while
others would say it is a platform.  The same is true for x86.  One
example I can think of is the Alpha architecture that allows a quite
clear distinction:

I would put it the following way:

Architecture: Alpha
Platforms: EV5, EV6, EV67, EV7
Variants: 61164a/b (EV5), 62164a/b (EV6),  61364 (EV67)
Cores: 21172 (61164) and 21272 (62164) Core Logic

I am not that deep into this Intel/IA/AMD stuff and cannot say
something useful about it.

Regards

	\Steve

--

Steve Graegert <graegerts@gmail.com>
Software Consultancy {C/C++ && Java && .NET}
Mobile: +49 (176)  21248869
Office: +49 (9131) 7126409

> cheers-
> kaushal.
> On Mon, 2005-09-12 at 21:05 +0200, Steve Graegert wrote:
> > On 9/12/05, kaushal <kaushal@rocsys.com> wrote:
> > > hello list,
> > >            Iam unable to find the exact differences between the terms:
> > >     1.architecture
> > >     2.Platform
> >
> > In case of hardware, the HAL itself provides a platform for
> > applications to run on a given architecture.  The HAL
> > specifies/describes/is the platform.
> >
> > >     3.Variant
> >
> > Variants are different types of hardware devices of the same family.
> > For example, microcontroller and embedded devices of the same family
> > are often of different variant with different, sometimes unique, bus
> > or memory systems, addressing schemes and the like.  In these cases,
> > software build for one variant often needs to be rebuild for the
> > other.  Software running such often devices lack an abstraction layer
> > that eases portability.  An example is Infineon's C166 microcontroller
> > family with the variants C167CS (supporting flash) and ST10F269
> > (supporting RAM) being almost completely incompatible to each other on
> > the binary level.  Nevertheless, they are compatible on the hardware
> > level and are based on the same fundamental design.
> >
> > >     4.Core
> >
> > AFAIK a core is the smallest piece of hardware (call it a component)
> > that can be incorporated into a larger component by adding more value,
> > either by additional hardware or extensible firmware.  Sometimes a
> > core is nothing more than a couple of gates allowing external sensors
> > being attached.  Others are quite complex and designed for special
> > applications, such as DSPs, and are driven by special oscillators.
> >
> > Hope this helps a bit.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> >       \Steve
> >
> > --
> >
> > Steve Graegert <graegerts@gmail.com>
> > Software Consultancy {C/C++ && Java && .NET}
> > Mobile: +49 (176)  21248869
> > Office: +49 (9131) 7126409
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