Arm shows off its non-silicon PlasticArm processor

[HEXUS]

Cortex-M0-based SoC, runs at just 29kHz, but may unlock "the full potential of the IoT".

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[John_Amstrad]

The heat melted the arm in the pan

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I didn't even know plastic CPUs were a thing!!

[gagaga]

56,340 transistors. About the same as a 6502 used in the C64.

[philehidiot]

56,340 transistors. About the same as a 6502 used in the C64.

So, what you're saying is... it can't play Crysis?

[Sim0n]

So, what you're saying is... it can't play Crysis?

Who needs Crysis, when you can play Daley Thompson's Decathlon and destroy a few joysticks with frantic waggling

[harrisonm65]

A nice game of Pitstop 2 while you wait for the kettle to boil......

[ik9000]

Who needs Crysis, when you can play Daley Thompson's Decathlon and destroy a few joysticks with frantic waggling

I remember that. That was horrific controller interfacing wasn't it!

[NewtonDeadface]

56,340 transistors. About the same as a 6502 used in the C64.

More like a twelth of that - MOS 6502 used 4528 transistors.

[kompukare]

More like a twelth of that - MOS 6502 used 4528 transistors.

Almost enough for a 68000 then:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transi...icroprocessors
32-bit registers! No strange Intel x86 like address modes.
On the other hand ARM 1 was only 25,000 transistors

EDIT: So e-waste is now pure(r) plastic waste?

[kalniel]

EDIT: So e-waste is now pure(r) plastic waste?

Sadly no, the transistors are still metal oxides (TFT, like monitors), it's just on a plastic substrate rather than solid silicon substrate.

[Iota]

Obviously, plastics aren't as thermally robust as materials like silicon.

So I guess when it melts it'll be like a dead arm?

I'll get my coat...

[lumireleon]

so we can sustain an EMP after a nuclear blast/solar flare?

[kalniel]

so we can sustain an EMP after a nuclear blast/solar flare?

Why would changing substrate help with that?

[3dcandy]

Daley Thompsons Decathlon - great version of Yellow Magic Orchestras Rydeen when loading though!

[DanceswithUnix]

More like a twelth of that - MOS 6502 used 4528 transistors.

But most 6502 machines managed more than 29KHz (and the 6502 was pretty efficient, so the two stage pipe of this CPU probably isn't much better). I don't think you are going to get a BBC Micro grade Elite out of this.

For really simple chips like this, RISC-V might have been a better target than ARM.