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This is pretty much how ARM works. They only design the CPU's but don't actually build them.
by pan69 12y ago
This is pretty much how ARM works. They only design the CPU's but don't actually build them.
- MrBuddyCasino 12y agoYeah but manufacturing competitive silicon nowadays requires mucho dollares. Making small-scale engines is probably several magnitudes below that. Still, you've got a point.
- ars 12y agoDesigning a CPU is very difficult and building one is very difficult, so this works for ARM. But engines are not like that, there's little money in the design - there are tons of designs, they are interchangeable for the most part and one is only slightly better than another. And building them is not hard either, so there is little money in being just a build shop without having an IP. Usually a design-only firm licenses themselves exclusively to one retail company - they don't sell the component, only the final product. They goes on for a few years, then the retail company buys them and that's the end of it. That's why you'll never hear from them again, some lawnmower or whatever company will lock them up and that will be all. If they want to make an impact (and not just a quick exit) they become a supplier and sell full engines.
- xorcist 12y agoBesides what's already said, there's also big value for the manufacturer to guarantee that the CPU runs ARM code. Even if it was price competitive to design an ARM-based CPU from scratch, and avoid all the patents, you'd want something (bug) compatible with the real thing to in order to run real world code.