| 1. |
What does Transmeta
do?
Transmeta creates, markets and sells the Crusoe
processor, a family of software based, smart microprocessor
solutions. Crusoe processors are specifically designed to combine PC
software compatibility with high performance and extremely long
battery life.
The Crusoe processor solutions are the only
ones designed to span the complete range of ultra-light (less than
four pounds) mobile PCs and Internet devices.
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| 2. |
What are the details behind
the smart microprocessor architecture?
The smart
microprocessor architecture, as used in the Crusoe Processor, relies
on software to perform a carefully selected set of functions that
are performed in today's hardware-based processors. This
repartitioning of functionality allows for a great deal of
flexibility in offering solutions that are more tailored to specific
market segments
The Crusoe processor takes advantage of a key
benefit in this repartitioning: the significant reduction in the
number of transistors needed to perform a task. This reduction
results in a power consumption as low as 10 to 20 milliwatts while
users run everyday PC applications like email and Internet browsing.
For heavy-duty multimedia applications like DVD, the processor
typically consumes just 1 - 2 watts. It also leads to a very small
die size that is economical to build.
The smart
microprocessor consists of a hardware VLIW core as its engine and a
software layer called Code MorphingTM software. The Code Morphing software acts as a
"shell" that surrounds the VLIW core but resides beneath the
operating system "morphing" or translating x86 instructions to
native Crusoe instructions. In addition, the Code Morphing software
contains a dynamic compiler and code optimizer to search out blocks
of software that make up the repetitive sequences commonly found in
applications and reduces them to a smaller set of executable
instructions. The result is increased performance at the least
amount of power.
The final benefit offered by the smart
microprocessor architecture is that it allows Transmeta to evolve
the VLIW hardware and Code Morphing software separately without
affecting the huge base of software applications. Upgrades to the
software portion of a microprocessor can be rolled out independently
from chip revisions. Likewise, decoupling the hardware design from
the system and application software frees hardware designers to
evolve (or eventually replace) their designs without perturbing the
legacy software base.
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| 3. |
How is the Crusoe processor
different from today's mobile processors from Intel and
AMD?
Today's Intel and AMD mobile processors are really
desktop processors that have been derated for the mobile market and
as such, they represent the culmination of several generations of
increasingly burdensome hardware complexity. While these processors
have been the driving force behind desktop computing since the
1970s, they have shown their limitations in mobile computers as they
become smaller and smaller and have had to make tradeoffs between
performance, excessive heat, and battery life.
Transmeta
believes, as do a number of industry experts, that a new
architectural approach is needed in order for the mobile computing
market to reach its full potential. One such expert, John Hennessey,
a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at
Stanford University, confirmed this trend when he said,
"Microprocessor designers need to adopt fresh techniques and new
kinds of metrics to align their work with the coming "post-desktop
era." He continued, "Requirements for compact, low-power, highly
reliable embedded devices and techniques... will drive the next
generation of processor designs."
The Crusoe smart
microprocessor architecture implements a carefully selected set of
functions in software, as opposed to hardware. By choosing this
method, Transmeta is able to create a much more streamlined VLIW
hardware core which, when combined with Code Morphing software and
LongRun power management, results in both the high performance and
low power required for today's demanding mobile computing
environment.
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| 4. |
How is the Crusoe processor
different from today's StrongARM and MIPs processors used in
Handheld PCs?
The StrongARM and MIPs processors are part of a
class of architecture known as RISC (Reduced Instruction Set
Computing). The RISC processors have been used in a wide range of
first-generation handheld computers, because their average power of
one watt or less leads to devices with very long battery life.
However, success in the marketplace has been limited, since RISC
processors are not compatible with many of today's PC and Internet
software applications.
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| 5. |
What is "Crusoe"?
"Crusoe" is the brand name for what will become a family of
smart microprocessors for a wide range of fully compatible mobile
Internet computers.
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| 6. |
How many Crusoe processor
solutions are there?
Three processor solutions are currently
available. The first version of the Crusoe processor (TM3200) is
targeted at mobile Internet devices operating with the Mobile Linux
O/S.
The other versions (TM5400/TM5600) are targeted at
performance-oriented, ultra-light PCs. With up to 700MHz in
performance and its new LongRun power management feature, the
TM5400/TM5600 will deliver the highest performance and lowest power
solution for mobile computing.
LongRun power management is
the key to bringing full functionality with the longest battery life
to the ultra-light mobile PC, because it analyzes the application
workload dynamically and continuously adjusts the processor's
voltage and speed (MHz) to provide the required performance at the
lowest power. In essence, LongRun power management is about
maximizing battery life while optimizing performance.
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| 7. |
Is Transmeta a public
company?
Transmeta Corporation is a publicly traded company
(NASDAQ: TMTA).
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| 8. |
How many versions of the
Crusoe processor are planned?
The number of Crusoe processor
solutions will grow over time to become a family of products that
are differentiated by both hardware and software features. The
resulting product breadth has the potential to address virtually
every need in the span of mobile computing.
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| 9. |
Why did Transmeta choose to
focus on ultra-light mobile PCs and mobile Internet
devices?
Prior to Crusoe, mobile processors were simply
desktop processors that were de-rated for the mobile market.
Transmeta viewed this as a significant opportunity and specifically
designed the smart microprocessor for this underserved market. The
Crusoe processor solves a number of problems (excessive heat, low
battery life, and underperformance) that have frustrated end
users.
The Crusoe Processor, along with the emergence of
affordable, high-speed, wireless communications will accentuate the
shift by users to mobile PCs as they begin to understand that a
high-performance, fully compatible solution for all day computing
now exists.
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| 10. |
Are Crusoe processors
available now?
The first Crusoe processors, the TM3200,
TM5400, and TM5600 are available and shipping now.
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| 11. |
What will the Crusoe
processor mean for mobility?
The Crusoe processor will enable
a whole class of Mobile Internet Computers that until now have
suffered from tradeoffs in performance, compatibility, and low
battery life. In addition, the Crusoe brand itself will serve as the
guidepost for users trying to make the correct mobile computer
buying decisions.
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| 12. |
What is included in the
Crusoe processor solution?
The Crusoe processor consists of
two components. The first is a VLIW processor packaged in a 474 BGA.
The second is a layer of software called Code Morphing Software,
which resides in the mobile system's Flash ROM. Both components work
together as a complete x86 instruction-set-compatible solution.
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| 13. |
How does the Crusoe
processor interface with other components in a mobile
computer?
The Crusoe processor contains an on-chip SDRAM
memory controller and a PCI controller to interface with industry
standard memory and I/O devices (for example, graphics and
communications solutions).
The model TM5400 has an additional
memory controller that interfaces with the DRAM industry's newest
low power, high performance memory called DDR-SDRAM (Double Data
Rate).
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| 14. |
What is the power
consumption of a Crusoe processor?
The Crusoe processor can
operate on as low as 10 to 20 milliwatts when running everyday
applications like email or Internet browsing. On heavy-duty
multimedia applications, like DVD movie playback the processor will
consume fewer than two watts.
The extremely low power
consumption delivered on multimedia applications can be directly
attributed to a new feature called LongRun power management. LongRun
has the distinct ability to analyze the application workload
dynamically and to adjust continuously the processor's speed (MHz)
and voltage to provide the necessary performance. This new feature
promises to extend the battery life of all applications, most
specifically those requiring the constant attention of the
processor. This is a dramatic departure from today's ultra-light
PCs, which are incapable of delivering over one and a half or two
hours of runtime for DVD movies.
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| 15. |
How does Crusoe processor's
LongRun power management compare to Intel's SpeedStep (Geyserville)
technology found on the Mobile Pentium III processor?
Intel's
SpeedStep technology was designed to bring additional desktop-like
performance to mobile computers when they are residing in a docking
station. The docking station is specially designed to provide
additional cooling to the thermally hotter processor. When the
mobile computer is taken on the road, performance is reduced, since
the processor has to run at a lower speed to avoid
overheating.
The LongRun power management feature within the
Code Morphing Software allows the processor to run at peak
performance independent of its power source (AC outlet or DC
batteries). In addition, LongRun power management analyzes the
application workload dynamically and continuously adjusts the
processor's speed (MHz) and voltage accordingly. This procedure is
performed without any user intervention and is the most efficient
method of operating a processor.
LongRun power management
will make its biggest impact in ultra-light (less than four pound)
portables that up to now have had difficulty in running multimedia
applications for longer than an hour or two.
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| 16. |
What are the benefits to
companies that use the Crusoe processor in their mobile
computers?
Companies will benefit from using the entire
family of Crusoe processors across a whole range of mobile Internet
computers. Whether it's a web slate or a four-pound ultra-light PC
with a 13-inch LCD display and a DVD drive, the Crusoe Processor
ensures the highest performance with the lowest power consumption.
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| 17. |
Can users expect a full
day's operation with a mobile PC based on a Crusoe
Processor?
The Crusoe Processor with its very low operating
power creates an opportunity for PC OEMs to create all-day computers
that deliver the full PC and Internet experience.
Transmeta
has not only delivered on a low power processor, but it is also
developing reference designs for customers to use in developing
mobile systems that consume just four watts when active. At four
watts of power consumption, a light-weight mobile system with a 32
watt-hour Lithium battery can deliver eight hours of use.
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| 18. |
Will the Crusoe processor
be found in handhelds or web slate computers?
The Crusoe
processor with the Midori Linux operating system makes for a very
favorable solution in a web slate or handheld Internet device. It
delivers the performance and compatibility necessary to provide
users with the full Internet experience while consuming very little
power.
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| 19. |
What is Midori
Linux?
Transmeta has created a Linux distribution to support
its OEM customers called Midori Linux. Midori Linux is designed for
systems without hard disks, such as Mobile Internet devices (for
example, Web slates, clients). The principal enhancements for Midori
Linux are in power management and in the reduction of the memory
footprint.
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| 20. |
Is Transmeta getting into
the Linux distribution business like RedHat?
No. Transmeta
does not intend to support end users.
The purpose for
creating Midori Linux for OEM customers is to provide a total
solution including the Crusoe processor, the Code Morphing software,
all the required driver support for our motherboard platform and the
Midori Linux operating system. This will provide our OEM customers
with the best combination of features and time to market for the
emerging Internet device marketplace.
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| 21. |
Does Transmeta intend to
release Midori Linux to the open source community?
Yes.
This was done on March 13, 2001. It is available for download
at http://midori.transmeta.com/.
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| 22. |
Who builds Transmeta's
Crusoe processor solution?
The hardware piece of the Crusoe
Processor solution, the VLIW chip, is fabricated and packaged by
IBM's Microelectronic Division. The Code Morphing software is
developed and distributed along with the processor by Transmeta as a
complete solution.
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| 23. |
When was Transmeta
founded?
Dave Ditzel, along with seven colleagues founded
Transmeta in 1995. Transmeta is based in Santa Clara, California.
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| 24. |
What is Linus Torvalds's
role at Transmeta?
Linus Torvalds is a member of the very
talented software team that created Transmeta's patented Code
Morphing Software.
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| 25. |
How are the two versions of
the Crusoe processor designated?
The two versions of the
Crusoe Processor will be known by the common Crusoe brand, since
they share the same attributes required for truly mobile computing.
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