Arm Cortex-M85 was released in 2022 and is the highest performing CPU in the Cortex-M portfolio. With scalar performance of more than 6 CoreMark/MHz and 3 DMIPS/MHz, Cortex-M85 is well-suited for high-performance IoT, industrial control, and automotive applications. The implementation of Arm Helium Technology also gives Cortex-M85 significantly higher machine learning (ML) and digital signal processing (DSP) capabilities compared to Cortex-M7, making it a powerful core for microcontroller (MCU) applications where compute performance is essential.
The deterministic operation combined with high compute capabilities makes Cortex-M85 an ideal CPU choice for applications where intelligence is pushed to the edge. It enables endpoint devices to sense, collect data, perform computation, and execute sophisticated ML algorithms within a predictable time frame.
There is a rising demand for high performance to address new workloads and be deployed in safety critical applications. Therefore, Cortex-M85 r1 was released at the end of 2022 with important functional safety features, the implementation of Arm Custom Instructions (ACI), and improved streaming performance.
Cortex-M85: The first safety ready high-performing Cortex-M
Arm’s Safety Ready portfolio is based on the ISO 26262 / IEC 61508 safety standards, ensuring that Cortex-M85 can be used for diverse applications with varying safety needs in the automotive and industrial control industries. Cortex-M85 r1 is equipped with multiple safety features to address these varying safety needs and is planned to undergo safety assessments for ASIL D and ASIL B.
Boosting flexibility and performance with Arm Custom Instructions
Cortex-M85 implements Arm Custom Instructions (ACI), allowing chip designers to include custom defined data processing instructions directly on the Cortex-M processor and providing a performance boost for low-latency instructions, easy integration with an existing software ecosystem, and scalability across Cortex-M processors.
Upgraded streaming performance
Cortex-M85 r1 has an enhanced datapath to deliver significantly higher streaming performance compared to legacy Cortex-M processors, making it ideal for workloads requiring continuous memory access across the AXI interface.
Cortex-M85 based products to be brought in the market soon
Arm’s partners have endorsed Cortex-M85 and already announced their plans to bring their M85-based devices to the market in the next year, such as Renesas with the first working silicon based on Cortex-M85. Cortex-M85 r1 allows Arm partners to use all the enhanced features for improved performance and safety in their next-generation MCU products for the IoT, automotive, and industrial markets.
For more information, visit the Cortex-M85 page on the Arm website.
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