IOT: Intel’s Galileo, got it working, how does it compare to other processors
Yippee, I got my Windows Embedded working on my Galileo. Make sure to see Bret Stateham’s blog for an excellent video on getting your Galileo Generation 1 working with Embedded Windows 2013 working with the Galileo board, very well done. I would embed the video here, but just go to Bret’s blog..
Discussion:
The Intel Galileo is a good embedded operating system evaluation board, and the Quark looks like an interesting architecture, after all popular chips like the TI CC2541 SoC (System on chip) is fairly cheap at less than $1 per chip purchased in 1000 lots, but is an 8 bit system, if I read the TI site correctly. The Quark chip in lots of 1000 is $14 USD (2014) and is a 32 bit system. In comparison, the two chips are quite a bit different, the TI CC 2541 based devices can run for a year on a CR2032 Coin battery. On the other hand the Quark dissipates around 2.2 watts of energy when fully powered and not sleeping, so it will burn down batteries pretty fast. The TI CC2541 on the other hand is on 8 bits versus the Quark’s 32 bit, but maybe a partnership? The Quark would act as a server for TI CC2541 based devices that are transmitting and receiving from a “mesh” network. (For more information on Mesh networkws: https://computer.howstuffworks.com/how-wireless-mesh-networks-work.htm)
Cost:
The Intel Quark is priced for Intel customers at $9.62 USD (9/3/2014) in lots of 1000, so in comparison to other devices it is pricey. For instance, the TI CC2541 chip costs less than a dollar (USD) in the same quantity, of course it is based on the 8051 architecture, runs 8-bits but can connect to radios really well. But How does the Quark compare to other robust CPUs? Here is a comparison table, using a tool that Intel provides, at the links in the column header.
Comparison to other Intel Processors
| Intel® Core™ i5-4308U Processor | Intel® Atom™ Processor Z3736G | Intel® Quark™ SoC X1000 (16K Cache, 400 MHz) | |
| Code Name | Haswell | Bay Trail | Clanton |
| Status | Launched | Launched | Launched |
| Launch Date | Q3'14 | Q2'14 | Q4'13 |
| Bus Type | DMI2 | ||
| System Bus | 5 GT/s | ||
| Processor Number | i5-4308U | Z3736G | X1000 |
| # of Cores | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| # of Threads | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Clock Speed | 2.8 GHz | 1.33 GHz | 400 MHz |
| Max Turbo Frequency | 3.3 GHz | ||
| Cache | 3 MB | 2 MB L2 Cache | 16 KB |
| Instruction Set | 64-bit | 32-bit | |
| Instruction Set Extensions | SSE 4.1/4.2, AVX 2.0 | ||
| Embedded Options Available | No | No | Yes |
| Lithography | 22 nm | 22 nm | 32 nm |
| Max TDP | 28 W | 2.3 W | |
| Recommended Customer Price | N/A | TRAY: $20.00 | TRAY: $9.62 |
| Datasheet | Link | Link | Link |
| Burst Frequency | 2.16 GHz | ||
| Scenario Design Power (SDP) | 2.2 W | ||
| Max Memory Size (dependent on memory type) | 16 GB | 1 GB | 2 GB |
| Memory Types | DDR3L-1333, 1600; LPDDR3-1333, 1600 | DDR3L-RS-1333 | DDR3-800 |
| # of Memory Channels | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Max Memory Bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | 5.3 GB/s | 1.6 GB/s |
| ECC Memory Supported ‡ | No | No | |
| Physical Address Extensions | 32-bit |