ARM vs. RISC-V
Comparing 2 standards across 9 specifications. 9 key differences identified.
ARM is a family of RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processor architectures, originally developed by Acorn Computers in the UK starting in 1983 as the Acorn RISC Machine. Unlike Intel or AMD, ARM Holdings doesn't manufacture chips -- it licenses its architecture designs to companies like Qualcomm, Apple, and Samsung, who build their own chips around it.
RISC-V is a free, open-source RISC instruction set architecture developed starting in 2010 at UC Berkeley -- unlike ARM or x86, it can be implemented without paying any licensing royalty. It's currently most common in microcontrollers and embedded systems, with higher-performance implementations for mobile, desktop, and server use still in development.
Specification Comparison Table
9 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Type
|
RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture family | Open-source, royalty-free RISC architecture |
|
Original Developer
|
Acorn Computers (UK) | — |
|
Project Started
|
October 1983 | — |
|
Renamed
|
1990 (Acorn RISC Machine -> Advanced RISC Machines, on spinoff) | — |
|
Business Model
|
Licenses architecture designs; does not manufacture chips | — |
|
Origin
|
— | UC Berkeley, 2010 |
|
Specification Published
|
— | 2011 |
|
Governing Body
|
— | RISC-V Foundation formed 2015; reorganized as RISC-V International (Switzerland), 2020 |
|
Current Primary Use
|
— | Microcontrollers and embedded systems |