|
Monday July 2, 2007
|
Okay, I'm overtired and just getting geeky here but I'm hoping someone out there can help speculate. Various iPhone hackers have been reporting, based on Semiconductor Insights' teardown, that the iPhone's processor is something called a Samsung S5L8900.
Here's my problem: Not only does the "S5L8900" not exist on Samsung's Web site as far as I could find, S5L isn't a designation for an application processor. Samsung codes all of their chipsets in families; app processors are S3C. S5L chips are generally DSPs or at most relatively slow system-on-chips for MP3 players. The closest chips numbered to 8900 are the S5L8700, a 200 Mhz ARM9 SoC.
Now, I wouldn't put it past Samsung to make a super secret CPU for Apple that they would then refuse to post on their Web site. But this all seems very strange. I'm sticking with my contention for now that the processor is actually an S3C6400, which has all of the characteristics we've been attributing to the iPhone processor.
Anyone?
|
|
|
Mixx It
Digg It
Stumble
More...
July 3, 2007 8:25 AM
I'm one of the guys that did the teardown at SI. Not being able to find a part on the website, or in this case even having any markings on the package is why SI has to decap the devices so that we can see the die markings. The Samsung part had die markings of S5L8900B01. We've torn down hundreds of cell phones in the past and have seen this type of numbering nomenclature before. For example, if you look at the processor in the HTC TyTN, it was a Samsung part with SC32442AL-43S. Although it is not the same as the one found in the iPhone, we can reasonably guess that it is similar. In the HTC TyTN, this processor ran the O/S. I would assume that the Samsung processor in the iPhone has the same functionality.
Hope that helps!
July 3, 2007 10:36 AM
Very cool!
July 3, 2007 3:55 PM
Hmmm... the 'S3C' is a standard Samsung application processor p/n prefix. The S3C2442 is a standard Samsung application processor that uses an ARM920T core; it does not have the cell phone 'modem' functionality.
The Samsung S3C6400 is a newer generation application processor, based on the ARM11 (ARM1176JZF-S) core. It's significantly more powerfull than the S3C244x, but still, no cell modem / baseband.
the '8900 is POSSIBLY a custom 'feature phone' level, integrated cell baseband and application processor chip with memory dies (unpackaged chips) integrated in a MCP (Multi-Chip Package).
July 4, 2007 3:22 PM
The hardware is revealled at http://iphone.fiveforty.net/wiki/index.php?title=Firmware/all_flash/all_flash.m68ap.production/DeviceTree.m68ap.img2
Interestingly it has an ARM1176jzf processor:
device 0 (17 rec)
"device_type" => 0x757063
"function-cpu_idle" => (8) "\x128N@\x00Iupc"
"reg" => 0x0
"bus-frequency" => 0x0
"peripheral-frequency" => 0x0
"state" => (8) "running\x00"
"timebase-frequency" => 0x0
"memory-frequency" => 0x0
"fixed-frequency" => 0x0
"compatible" => (21) "ARM,1176jzf-s\x00ARM,v6\x00"
"interrupt-parent" => 0x403BD0
"name" => (5) "cpu0\x00"
"clock-frequency" => 0x0
"function-ipi_dispatch" => (12) "\x208;@\x00DIPI\x04\x00\x00\x00"
"interrupts" => (8) "\x04\x00\x00\x00?\x00\x00\x00"
"cpu-version" => 0x0
"AAPL,phandle" => 0x402310
as well as a PowerVR MBX 3D graphics processor:
device 0 (10 rec)
"device_type" => 0x78626D
"clock-ids" => 0x2
"reg" => (8) "\x00\x00\x00\x03\x00\x00\x00\x01"
"power-gates" => 0x2
"clock-gates" => 0x13
"compatible" => (13) "mbx,s5l8900x\x00"
"interrupt-parent" => 0x403BD0
"name" => 0x78626D
"interrupts" => 0xC
"AAPL,phandle" => 0x40C570
July 4, 2007 8:17 PM
cdpal, maybe Greg can confirm, but I thought his teardown showed that the iPhone had separate application and baseband chips. I believe he said the baseband was from Infineon.
DB, that's cool, but what's driving me nuts, is WHICH ARM 1176JZF? ARM 1176JZF is a spec, not an actual physical product.
July 6, 2007 5:54 AM
Interestingly, ARM Holdings, have put up a link on their company webpage back to the Engadget article identifying the processor as an ARM1176JZF
http://www.arm.com/news/ARM_In_The_News.html
July 16, 2007 1:25 AM
Not that it's likely to make much difference - but the lower package in the PoP is marked '8900B01-2'. There's a lot code and a date code also, but the 'dash two' may or may not be meaningful.