ANALOG READING MATERIAL_EXPLORING EVOLUTION > China: Taking the lead > Brain-powered music > AArch: Insights from behind the instruction set > AI: Looking to learn > Engineering our destiny What’s this chip? What’s this chip? this What’s

Quarterly_Issue 01 Confidential April 2017 Contents From the editors

04–05 BYTES, BITS & PIECES_ Small stories and updates for your coffee break. EVOLVING WELCOME

06–11 GROWING UP, AND UP_ ARM_Delving into this issue's theme of BACK_When we launched Issue 0 of this magazine in November, we How do the two stories of China’s evolution, we asked contributors: "How has ARM called it an experiment. growth and ARM China’s growth converge? evolved since you've been here – and how would It was an experiment that started with content. We found 12–15 there was so much happening across the business that wasn’t A BRAINWAVE COMPOSITION_ you like it to evolve?" Making music with your mind might sound being shared – the sort of stories that, while not news or like science fiction, but Joel Eaton has already particularly strategic, embody the spirit of ARM. Stories made it reality. like Sandra Larrabee’s connected shoe (a chance email from Ian Ferguson which said something like: “This is cool…”), 16–19 and the Michigan Micro Mote (from a slide at APM). Stories EVOLVING OURSELVES_ Emma Ma Jon Baker Chris Doran Artificially engineering evolution presents that weren’t being told – but that should’ve been. p6 p20 p36 myriad ethical questions – from both an individual and organizational perspective. “We have more people “We used to be quite “For many years I was an working in ARM, more focused on specific things academic, and then I ran a And because it was an experiment, we asked what you thought divisions and groups, more – namely low power start-up, so when I joined 20–21 and whether you preferred the printed or digital version. 220 and more acquisitions. I processors – but our reach ARM I had little experience of you voted and, at the time of writing, paper is ahead at 59%. SIDE BY SIDE_ would like ARM still to be has expanded so that almost of corporate life. It took me A video game at a board game price. Using a place caring about people every smart device has an a while to get up to speed. 3D visualization tech in ARM’s organizational and stick to its own unique ARM processor. Sometimes, Then, once I was up to And so here we are again. On paper. Again. structure. Two colleagues, two fascinating values. Also I would like it feels like this growth is speed, suddenly everything side projects… to see ARM become more accelerating away from us changed. Now, we’re Last time we explored possibility; this time it’s evolution. connected – between – it’s important to maintain thinking hard about what the 22–27 groups and between our knowledge across next ideas will be. Masayoshi From the evolution of the ARM architecture, our presence THE HUMAN TOUCH_ different cultures.” different sectors.” Son (CEO, SoftBank) (and success) in China, the changing workplace, computer Sophie Wilson, Dave Jaggar and Richard wants us to show more vision, and the makeup of the company itself, there are some Grisenthwaite share how it’s teamwork, leadership, and that’s going not technology, that has shaped the ARM to be a different position big topics which have required the help of lots of people. architecture’s evolution. for ARM – it will take a bit of time before we become Around 100 of you have contributed to making Issue 1 by our 28–31 comfortable with it.” count. 50 or so wrote feedback on the first issue, 26 responded SEEING IS BELIEVING_ Joel Eaton Ivan Pedersen p12 p21 to our question about ARM’s evolution (see the back cover), The ability to know what’s being seen has propelled human evolution. How is computer “It feels like there’s some “We’ve started to ask and 18 agreed to be interviewed. Of those 18, one used to work vision taking the possibilities to a new level? momentum around bringing more questions: where we here before departing more than a decade ago, another never our working practices and are, how we got here, and really joined but has been fundamental to ARM’s success. Head 32–35 the tools we use more into how we deliver solutions. over to p22 for the full story. WORK: REBOOTED_ the 21st century – which Since we were acquired by can only be a good thing. SoftBank, I’ve seen a focus What will the future of work look like? I’m excited about evolving on the future and growing From tracking millennial trends to manager You’ll also notice the magazine itself has evolved, too. It’s how we educate our innovation. It excites me that effectiveness, two ARM projects seek to customers and partners we’re opening up and there’s a little more grown up, a little more understated. Dare we say, answer the unknown. about ARM technologies.” more opportunity.” a little more ARM? 36–39 THE GAME HAS CHANGED_ This magazine is for But we’re still not finished (dangerous word). We’d still love to As the threat of hacking looms larger than internal use only. hear how we can keep getting better. Want the handwritten bits Please do not share ever, how are ARM’s research partnerships back? Want more stick people running along the bottom of our addressing tomorrow’s big challenges? it outside ARM. pages? Like things just the way they are? Got a story to share? Whatever your thoughts, we’d love to know: [email protected] EDITORIAL BOARD Herman Schistad Jason Souloglou Shyam Sadasivan Asha Mokashi ARM’s editorial board will shape Web Applications Engineer Director of Server Director, Leadership Director, Technical future issues of this magazine. If Cambridge, UK and HPC Tools Development Communications Sasha Watson & Daniel Preston you want to join the people already Manchester, UK Bangalore, India Bangalore, India signed up or have a story to tell, Internal Communications contact us at [email protected]

03 ARM insights and inspirations Read + watch + discover

PIN-UP CHIP BYTES, The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed some familiar chips adorning our front BITS PRESS PLAY covers. But can you guess which chips they are? Seek out A flick through ARMtv and ARMflix reveals some of the thinking, expertise all four cover images, inspect and ideas that shape our business. Here are a few clips worth tuning in to… in detail, then email us your & answers for each one to Allen Wu, focus on China (ALC, 2016) [email protected]. Get all GET CONNECTED tinyurl.com/armtv-china four chips right and we’ll PIECES_ Driving ARM’s growth, hitting targets, leading the pace send you a limited edition Last issue, we followed of change – Allen shares how China is key to ARM’s print. So, magnifying glasses at principal software engineer future success. Find out more about China, p6. the ready… Matt DuPuy’s route as he summited ‘the roof of the world’ – aided by ARM- 20th Century Fox's Danny Kaye, improving movie powered wearables. This watching (TechCon, 2015) April, he meets his next tinyurl.com/armflix-20 challenge: heading back to Danny talks about how new software developments Nepal to tackle the world’s could change the way consumers access and digest third highest mountain, video content online, making it more secure. Find out Kangchenjunga. While READ, READING, more about the future of security, p36. he’s there, Matt will be READ AGAIN investigating how ARM tech can keep him connected. Three contributors share their Mike Muller, people and innovation (GEC, 2016) page-turners of yesterday, today tinyurl.com/armtv-average “My plan, if the hardware and tomorrow… Mike explains how the Research team works, how arrives in time, is to use taking a chance on people is vital to ARM’s future an L-Band satellite receiver Dave Jaggar success, and how being average is no longer good (based on a developer ARM (former lead architect, p22) enough. Find out more about team diversity, p16. board) to get news, weather Read: “I read an excellent book about the ARM AROUND THE WORLD and other info on the Wright Brothers 15 years ago. In it, there’s expedition,” he explains. “And a wonderful account of Alexander Graham Sometimes, the simplest of ideas can result in since most Nepali mountain Bell and how he spent most of his life trying the biggest of changes. Hungarian physician Ignaz villagers usually have a few to invent something else as significant as the YOU SAID Semmelweis was ridiculed by his 19th century smartphones in the community telephone to show it wasn’t just a fluke.” “I’d like to have a medical peers for making the microbiological link but rarely have good internet Back in November, we made a prototype personal printed copy between hand hygiene and infection. And today, access or reliable power, Jon Baker (Issue 0) for a new ARM magazine. of the magazine for two poor hand hygiene is still one of the leading causes we’re also looking at how (verification engineer, p20) We asked what you thought… reasons: 1. To read in my of child mortality in the developing world. local schools might be able Reading: “I’m reading about Rich leisure time, with a fresh to make use of this system.” Olson’s experiments with circuit board and unconvoluted mind. SoaPen, a joint initiative by ARM, UNICEF, and Frog manufacture, without using more 2. To showcase at home Design, is improving hand hygiene with a wearable The receiver’s geared up for traditional etching methods which require “I LOVE it. I think a magazine is as a matter of pride and crayon. Letting teachers and parents mark the education and connecting unpleasant chemicals and are harder to get a great place to elaborate on share with friends and critical cleaning areas on a child’s hand, combined the un-connected, and Matt’s good results from. For me, this is the next those interesting internal stories f a m i ly m e m b e r s.” with a free educational hand hygiene app, SoaPen already checked where mobile step. It’s good programming something that we’d otherwise never see, but took the top spot in the 2015 Wearables for Good signal stops on his journey someone else has made, but it’s much which really should be told.” Challenge (check out the full story in Issue 0), and and identified a few schools better to actually build it as well.” has now gone into production. out of range of the internet. “This is Now, it’s just a case of “I love the way Chris Doran the 21st waiting for the finishing it looks and reads. (director, research collaborations and century, touches to his kit: “I've entrepreneur-in-residence, p36) I am a big believer in This magazine has been WHATEVER NEXT? ordered the batteries, solar keep it printed on 100% recycled “I didn't manage taking a step back to Read again: “An interesting read is the d ig ita l.” paper in an edition of 2,000. and antenna systems. I’m just biography of Alexander von Humboldt, to read any of it the old ways to balance Unit cost: £2.26 Our next edition, Issue 2, will be out this July waiting on the final project one of the founders of the ecology because the red out the deluge of and will consider all things THINGS – from board from Outernet.” Good movement and a contemporary of Darwin. mist descended as digital content.” All agencies and next tier sensors to supercomputers and much more. luck, Matt. suppliers involved in the a result of the He talks about man’s damage to the production of this magazine Got a suggestion or story idea? environment, about the impact on the fake pencil commit to ARM’s Supplier Code Email [email protected] outernet.is ecosystem by small interventions that man scribbling on it." of Conduct and its corporate was making – ideas we have around today.” responsibility requirements.

04 Issue 01 / April 2017 05 China mega growth Country + ARM + prosperity

> Shanghai's rapidly changing GROWING skyline rising through the clouds UP, AND

UP_“From Factory Floor to Innovation Powerhouse”. “Is China the World’s New Scientific Superpower?” “China Overtakes US with World’s Fastest Supercomputer”. “This is Why China has the Edge in Artificial Intelligence”. The headlines are countless, but all tell a similar story. China’s growth – both as an economy and as an innovator – in recent years has been nothing short of stratospheric. Meanwhile, ARM China’s expansion over the last 15 years has mirrored the cliff-face graphs of the macro landscape. So how do the two stories converge? And where might they lead?

“Ten years ago at the ARM Annual Partners Meeting (APM), I was trying to look up our partners from China – and I could count all of them on one hand,” Allen Wu (executive vice president and president, ARM Greater China) said as he introduced a China panel session at the APM in August 2016. ARM now has its UN millennium development goal of online, while now I buy almost everything SMASHING TARGETS over 200 partners in China, and, Allen halving extreme poverty was largely driven from online shops, including tickets, cell Hardly surprising, then, that ARM’s growth says, today the ARM ecosystem is “the by China, which accounted for more than phones, clothes, food, toys, books and in China has followed a similar trajectory number one ecosystem and number one three-quarters of global poverty reduction so on. Generally, I think the Chinese to the country’s wider socio-economic architecture across nearly every single between 1990 and 2005,” states the World are more open to the world, and have prosperity. Setting up for business in segment in China.” Economic Forum. “I think the a strong belief in using technology to change China in 2001, ARM’s first office opened in What’s more, China’s GDP per capita their lives.” Shanghai in 2002. Back then, turnover was SEISMIC SHIFTS is predicted to rise by $2,000 by 2020 – Chinese E-commerce giant Alibaba’s peak nudging $100,000. “I was working out of Whether it’s the fortunes of a company, astounding when you consider its 1.4 billion are more transaction volumes are around nine our office in Silicon Valley in 2004-5,” recalls an entire country, or the day-to-day life of population. This turbo-charged economic times that of Amazon – the group Allen. “In 2006 ARM had a board meeting in open to the its people, transformation is everywhere growth has triggered rapid gentrification posted a record 120.7 billion yuan China. One of the concerns was that even you look in China. Over the past 30 years, – China’s population is predicted to be 50% world, and ($17.73 billion) worth of sales on Singles though we’d been in China for five years, the country has experienced the fastest middle class by 2020. And this increasingly have a Day in 2016, and Alibaba processes the business scale and success seemed to be industrial revolution in history. When affluent consumer group is tech savvy to say around $1 trillion of mobile payments limited.” To the board, limited amounted to China emerged from the Mao era and the least, with China’s retail e-commerce strong belief every year. “Chinese consumers are $3 million worth of business in 2006. Deng Xiaoping’s reforms began in 1978, market now the largest in the world. in using spending more on lifestyle services “At the time I happened to know its GDP per capita ranked at 122nd in the “I often use WeChat on my phone to pay and experiences, while also moving quite a bit about the industry through my technology world. Until 2014, China saw an average b i l l s i n s h o p s , r e s t a u r a n t s a n d s u p e r m a r ke t s ,” from mass to premium segments,” previous connections, and I was asked what GDP growth close to 10% per year, raising says Roy Hu (senior information developer, to change the World Economic Forum says. The I thought of it,” Allen continues. “I thought per capita GDP almost 49-fold, from $155 Partner Enablement Group, Shanghai). th ei r lives.” fastest growing sectors of the economy it was an interesting challenge because (current dollar value) in 1978 to $7,590 “Online shopping has become very popular include healthcare, technology, education the industry was in its very early stages in 2014. “The fact that the world reached in China. Ten years ago, I bought nothing Roy Hu and entertainment. and the potential was relatively unknown.

06 Issue 01 / April 2017 07 China mega growth Country + ARM + prosperity

NUMBER OF INTERNET USERS IN CHINA VALUE OF ARM BUSINESS IN CHINA ARM CHINA HEADCOUNT CHINESE SUPERCOMPUTERS In million Total (in millions) 300 2 14 50 212 270 440 Mobile (in millions) 300 1993 250 731 million entire > First TOP500 731 population of Europe 200 supercomputers list 695 201 150 published, with US 90 100 60 computer at no.1 298 50 118 384 0,1 3 0 2001 2007 2012 2015 201 mid 2018 210 233 So I wrote a little business plan, making some 50 2001 200 2011 2013 2015 “Before they 2008 Projected, based on new 2001 recommendations. I fully expected they 2007 were known 2009 office premises and planned 688 457 > China first appeared were going to take the plan and that was it. 2015 Source Allen Wu executive vice president and president, ARM Greater China headcount growth 620 303 on the TOP500 list So it was a bit of a surprise that I was asked and trusted 2010 to move to China and do it.” by the likes POVERTY Allen’s 2006 business plan had stated % share of Chinese population living with less than 3.10 per day of Google and 2011 2006 that ARM could reach $30 million revenue 2014 100 513 99.14 > China had 28 in five years. “We more than doubled that 356 Microsoft, 80 89.15 2012 82.31 supercomputers on by the time we reached the five-year mark,” 649 2013 TOP500 list, but none he says. “And by the time we got to the ARM helped 557 60 67.18 in the top 30 40 ten-year mark we were 100 times that of companies 41.76 564 20 2006, reaching $300 million in 2015.” ARM- 420 such as 618 22.24 based product revenue is also growing at 0 11.09 500 2013 three times the industry average in China. Rockchip to 1981 1987 1993 1999 2005 2011 2013 Source TechinAsia > China took the no.1 There’s no doubt that the numbers and CIC / bit.ly/iiynu Source ur World in Data / bit.ly/lSiG connect with spot on the TOP500 speak for themselves. But what’s the real the rest of list for the first time, story behind the growth charts and dollar/ CHINA’S SEMICONDUCTOR MARKET CHINA GDP VS. US GDP with Tianhe-2 yuan signs? How did such spectacular the world % of total global consumption trillions growth come about, and what might the ecosystem.” future hold for both ARM in China – or 20 2013-2016 17.947 ‘China ARM’ – and the bigger picture of Allen Wu 2003 200 2009 2012 2015 18 > Tianhe-2’s no.1 spot increase on China’s innovation economy? 18.5 25.9 42.8 52.5 58.5 previous figure unchallenged for 16 For a long time, China achieved its 19.93% > consecutive TOP500 lists 14.9644 growth by manufacturing and selling cheap 14 goods to the world. The world didn’t look 13.0937 14.29% > Source PWC pwc.to/TyMMv to China for innovation; it was seen as a 12 2016 10.8664 follower market, with its low labor costs, 10.2848 27.31% > > 15 of the 500 10 and mass production and consumption of SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL OURNALS fastest supercomputers Number of articles published 414,759 412,542 lower-end products imitating their Western are American 8 7.6641 34.19% > US 79.91% > and Japanese counterparts. 335,064 401,435 6.0397 Allen shares the story of one of ARM’s 277,784 382,257 6 372,038 partners, Rockchip, who became a qualified US 193,161 2016 4 225.1% > 1.23% > key supplier for the Google Chromebook 240,030 2.2686 > 17 of the 500

106,844 2.357 system on a chip (SoC) in 2015 – the first China fastest supercomputers 2 1.2053

47,290 0.732 88.22% > Chinese chip company in the notebook are Chinese China 10,526 0.148 394.59% > 4.% > category. “Around 2008-2009, Rockchip 0 saw the opportunities with Android to 199 2000 2004 2008 2012 2013 1978 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 build an SoC platform for mobile internet Source Google Public Data bit.ly/lRMM Source Google Public Data / bit.ly/kBau Source top.org devices,” he says. “They weren’t even called tablets at that point – this was before the iPad even came out. Before they were the technology. In China we work with the founders entered into a strategic deal with Intel, Seeing innovation as a key driver for economic growth known and trusted by the likes of Google of companies, help them recruit engineers, talk to with Intel working on Rockchip’s SoC – as well as improved perceptions of China on the global and Microsoft, ARM helped companies such venture capitalists and investors, build new ecosystem integration, while Rockchip brought its IP stage – trillions of yuan have been poured into research as Rockchip to connect with the rest of the partnerships across the value chain – especially in the to the table. This smart alliance looks set and development (R&D), tech incubators and innovation world ecosystem. In the beginning that was early days. We take a more hands-on approach by helping to elevate the company’s customer offer growth funds over the past decade, along with focused the big challenge.” them experiment on new things and innovate. That was and vastly improve its products over the policy support from central government. This typifies ARM’s approach in China; a change of strategy from standard sales and marketing, next few years. The 2016-2020 Five Year Plan lays out that by one of the secrets to its success. “We needed which borrowed from our experience in Silicon Valley. 2020, science and technology will contribute 60% to to not just sell the product to our partners, ARM’s success in China is really based upon enabling the INNOVATION OVER IMITATION China’s economic growth. “We will foster a culture but really help them understand how to build growth of this new ecosystem.” The backdrop to all this is a huge of innovation and create an enabling environment for a good business in the integrated circuit (IC) Rockchip was around a $20 million company back national, government-led innovation and innovation in which people venture to break into new industry – how the model works, from both in 2008-2009, he explains, but would have needed to entrepreneurship drive. In 2006, Premier ground and failure is tolerated,” promised Premier Li the business and technology perspectives,” invest around $20 million on this project. “They bet Wen Jiabao said that, without innovation, Keqiang on launching the Plan. says Allen. “In North America it’s more the farm on the ARM ecosystem, but it really paid “China would be unable to claim an equal In 2015, China grew at its slowest pace since 1990, like: we supply the technology, and explain off for both of us.” Paid off indeed. In 2015, Rockchip place in the world or achieve national honor." reflecting the decline in manufacturing and construction

08 Issue 01 / April 2017 09 China mega growth Country + ARM + prosperity

the latest technology, while protecting our you’re in an environment where you keep interests and the balance of the fairness running into areas that people haven’t of the industry with other partners?” says encountered before – you have to improvise.” Allen. “So we literally have to roll out a new Emma Ma, (graduate, People Team) agrees, business model every year as they grow explaining how she believes she’s benefitted – because they keep changing. from ARM China’s entrepreneurial spirit “Take the typical business principle of directly: “The fast developing China market 80/20 – that you should concentrate 80% gives ARM a lot of opportunities and > Allen Wu of your resources on 20% of your customer Executive Vice President competition,” she explains. “Together these base. In China, given the speed of change, & President encourage faster personal development for it’s much harder to do that. If everybody’s in ARM Greater China us in the company’s teams too.” the kindergarten, you can’t really tell who’s “Ideas are encouraged,” adds Roy. “It’s going to be the next Einstein. Clearly today very open, and you can have a different voice always-connected consumer base, a dense the industry is more mature – it’s easier to without fear of being fired. In traditional urban population. These characteristics tell now. But because of the recent wave Chinese culture, it’s very risky to disagree provide a rapid learning environment to of investment coming from the industry and with your boss. But ARM encourages test many advanced business opportunities, the government, and the overall emphasis different voices. This environment provides including self-drive vehicles, energy on the IC industry in China, there are a lot fertile soil for innovation, and people solutions and urban delivery logistics.” of mergers and acquisitions going on. So the can have a better play of their potential “In the Internet of Things (IoT) and > Sunway TaihuLight industry landscape is shifting yet again.” because they’re free to air their voices and Artificial Intelligence (AI) spaces, China So, how to keep up? “Something we can > Roy Hu implement new ideas. The working culture is going to be as much a leader market as learn from Masayoshi Son (CEO, SoftBank) Senior Information gives China ARM an edge in the highly anywhere else,” says Allen. “Whereas in the output, and the ‘new normal’ of higher labor costs, that’s globally true,” says Allen, “is that we’ve Developer, Partner competitive technology landscape.” mobile revolution Chinese companies were increasing competition and the shift towards got to take a ten to 20-year view of this Enablement Group Emma, who’s been at ARM for two and followers, with IoT and AI everyone is more China-led innovation. In the same year, nationwide region, of the industry, of the world, and Shanghai a half years, agrees. “I like the open and or less on the same starting line. And yet, expenditure on scientific research and experiments work back from there.” innovative environment,” she says. “My with available market and money, in five or totalled 1.42 trillion yuan ($213.4 billion). The world’s friends think my job is really cool, having ten years' time, China will likely be an even two fastest supercomputers are both Chinese, and EVOLVING REVOLUTION foreign experience in such an open company. bigger market. Given ARM’s unique position the current number one, Sunway TaihuLight, uses China’s speed of change can seem more The whole of China ARM has the spirit and goodwill in the industry, we have a very homegrown technology. like revolution than evolution. But to of team work, and the hard-working and good opportunity to take advantage of that.” The supercomputers are perhaps one of the highest succeed, businesses have to constantly efficient but fun quality makes us different.” But this is no time for complacency. profile manifestations of Chinese technology being taken adapt to the changing environment. That’s It’s not just Roy and Emma who think To make the most of these opportunities, seriously by the world. When Tianhe-2 took the number the essence of ‘China ARM’, explains Allen. this: China ARM has been awarded the ARM will need to keep adapting and one spot on the TOP500 supercomputers list in 2013, it “It’s basically an evolution process as the Top Employers China certification in evolving its approach in this unprecedented surprised analysts who weren’t expecting it to be ready market changes. If you look at various > Emma Ma 2016 and 2017. It’s also been in the top and, in some ways, unpredictable market. In until 2015. The US government banned sales of Intel, multinationals, there are multiple stages Graduate, People Team two of ARM’s global sites for employee a country placing such a huge emphasis on Shanghai NVIDIA and AMD microchips to China in 2015, amidst of successful evolution in China. Normally engagement scores for seven years in a homegrown innovation – with government fears that the technology would be used for nuclear people start with the basic stuff – setting row. Nevertheless, recruiting and retaining spending and policy to match – ARM will applications. But even this didn’t slow China down. up a sales office. Then they take it a bit talent is increasingly tough in such a need to tread carefully and decisively. Being “The ban forced the Chinese government to develop further, like we did – modifying the sales hyper-competitive marketplace. “In 2013 the Chinese enough isn’t enough; ARM needs chips locally as a replacement,” says Roy. “There’s a real business model, creating ecosystems. Then, multinationals were no longer the first choice to keep being considered a net benefit to focus on using Chinese-grown technology now. For later on, they modify some of the products on the new graduates’ annual list of preferred China’s innovation economy, not another example, the Chinese government has established a for local needs, changing how the channel employers,” says Allen. “The local technology multinational cashing in on its booming 139 billion yuan ($21.3 billion) national integrated and business model work. The third step? companies inched up and overtook.” marketplace. “The relationship between circuit fund to support the domestic semiconductor Starting innovation in China then taking ARM and the Chinese government is a industry development.” it to the rest of the world. It’s also about NEW DAWN critical factor for our future development,” realizing that certain parts of China will So is everything in place for the graphs to says Roy. “We need to achieve win-win with THE NEED FOR SPEED become the leading market. So let’s develop keep climbing and climbing? At the time of China’s government, and grow with China.” Tianhe-2’s two-years-early scenario reflects the wider innovation for that lead market.” writing, fears were mounting around the “In the next ten years, for the first phenomenon of ‘China speed’. “In a country with 1.4 “If everybody’s So it follows that the China ARM team risks of an abrupt end to the massive credit time in modern history, we’ll have a leading billion people, whatever you do, there are so many in the stands out for its adaptability. “Our people boom, combined with uncertainty around economy that’s not Western, not English competitors,” explains Roy. “To survive the fierce have to be able to learn and grow very fast,” how the new Trump administration’s speaking and will not westernize,” Allen competition, Chinese companies have to do things kindergarten, says Allen. “Because whatever we have protectionism might play out. But the concludes. “It will increasingly demand that extremely fast – like the mobile phone companies, who you can’t really today may not fit into what we need for the longer term picture still looks bright. we engage its market on its own terms. compete intensely to shorten the time to market.” customer or marketplace tomorrow. We “China has a unique set of And so as this new rule is re-written, we tell who’s going Because ARM’s partners in China are smaller than have to have a ‘can-do’ attitude and make demographics that could allow it to be an just need to make sure we take the typical the likes of Samsung and Qualcomm, they’re evolving so to be the next it work. The team in China excels in many innovation petri dish in the coming years,” ARM fashion. Not limiting ourselves, but fast that ARM has to keep re-evaluating the best way of Einstein.” ways. They don’t take no for an answer. And says the World Economic Forum. “An making the pie bigger for everybody in the working with them. “We have to think, how do we adjust they do it at a speed that makes it work. That upwardly mobile population, the largest ecosystem, as we’ve always done. That’s the business model that basically gives them access to Allen Wu pro-activeness is really stand-out. Because e-commerce sector in the world, an really the ARM spirit.”

10 Issue 01 / April 2017 11 ARM side projects Joel Eaton + brainwaves + innovation

A BRAINWAVE

COMPOSITION_ Making music with your mind? Sounds like the future to us. But thanks to Joel Eaton and his brain-computer music interface (BCMI) systems, it's happening now...

Activating Memory is a project that sounds like science fiction. Four members of the Paramusical Ensemble, who are unable to talk or move, wear electroencephalogram (EEG) caps, which read electrical signals from their brains. Each member uses the BCMI to select musical phrases that are then played by a corresponding member of a string quartet. An instructional designer in the Partner Enablement Group by day, Joel teamed up with composer Eduardo “Much later, when I was attending Miranda in 2015 to conduct a live music music sessions for children with disabilities performance at the Royal Hospital in Somerset, I saw there was no available for Neuro-Disability, London, UK, to technology for severely disabled people astonishing feedback. More than just making to access music. Access to creativity and music, Activating Memory enabled the music shouldn’t have physical restrictions, quartet to make a meaningful connection so I started to look into areas that I – with each other, and the outside world. could explore.” Joel started to investigate the field of SHORT-CIRCUITING THE CREATIVE PROCESS brain-computer interfacing. “I went along Although a revolutionary idea for many of to the University of Essex’s research lab to us, controlling music with brainwaves has look at real-time control. I built a demo and been evolving in Joel’s mind since he was found that by measuring electrical activity young. “I’ve been making music since I was in the visual cortex, users could accurately a teenager,” he explains. “I’ve always been control certain brainwave signals in just as interested in recording and creating real-time,” he explains. “It took quite a lot music with technology as I have with playing of development to build a robust system and instruments. So I became a sound engineer. interface – I explored a number of brainwave > Joel Eaton wearing his braincap

12 Issue 01 / April 2017 ARM side projects Joel Eaton + brainwaves + innovation

> The ParaMusical Ensemble in action TECH SPEC

Joel’s technology is made up of four individual brain-computer music interface (BCMI) systems. They are synchronized by a master clock, which is provided by a PC running a bespoke application over a LAN.

Each BCMI is made up of: • 1 brain cap and electrodes • 1 electroencephalogram (EEG) amplifier • 1 EEG digitizer and Bluetooth interface • 1 PC

SYSTEM control techniques. With the Steady-State paralysis emailed to say how amazing it felt control. I’ve run a demo at a Code and Chip Visually Evoked Potential (SSVEP) method, just to be in control of something again. “The event for students too – I used to lecture so I Pre-amplification Digitization I found that through visual stimuli, I could patients told us they wanted to interact enjoy working in education again.” We asked generate signals suitable for controlling with musicians, not just computers,” Joel Joel whether he sees making music with external systems. This could be more continues. “We observed them not only your mind as work or as a hobby. “Both!” he accurate than other visual-gazing interacting with the musicians, but with laughs. “It’s hard work, but I love it.” technologies, like eye-tracking. To replicate each other through little competitions they Active dry common music control functions such as were having. It made the whole experience BEAUTY IS TRUTH electrodes turning a dial or fader on a mixing desk, much more special.” With Activating Memory, Joel is challenging mapping techniques can be applied to The ARM community has been equally the dichotomy between art and science. generate different types of musical control.” supportive, with some people attending one “Have nothing in your house that you do For Activating Memory, the approach of Joel’s lectures at Anglia Ruskin University. not know to be useful, or believe to be EEG over is simple. Each user is always provided “At ARM, people are very receptive to new beautiful,” said 19th century pioneer of the Bluetooth with four musical options to choose from. ideas and alternative solutions. It’s a great original maker movement, William Morris. > Global clock/control When SSVEP is detected across one of mindset,” Joel adds. Tech solutions are often categorized as four channels, the corresponding musical the former: a useful response to a specific phrase is selected and displayed to the challenge – be it healthcare, communication, OSC over OSC over musician to play. “It allowed the patients economics, or engineering. TCP (WiFi) local UDP to connect with music, to But Activating Memory defies SOUND CHECK feel part of something. categorization. It’s creative, it’s grounded But it wasn’t all high notes, as Joel explains: in the arts, and, as Joel admits, it doesn’t “The electrical signals measured across the Ultimately, to have a alleviate symptoms. It doesn’t fix anything. scalp are very faint, and are susceptible to a better quality of life.” But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile. lot of noise. Putting together a system that Joel’s given it some thought. “It was Score gen & Matlab pre-processing Joel Eaton data handler & feature extraction would work in a hospital environment, with an enjoyable and emotionally challenging all of the associated medical equipment experience – and it had no real benefit for close by, was a challenge, as was designing PITCHING TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD any kind of physical rehabilitation. But it a music-making environment that was easy The potential for brainwave tech is allowed the patients to connect with music, and enjoyable for both the patients and the far-reaching. In the health sector, a German to feel part of something. Ultimately, to musicians. And time constraints inevitably study published in PLOS Biology (February have a better quality of life.” took their toll. If it was my full-time job, I’d 2017) used a brain-computer interface to For some – including SoftBank CEO have been able to make the system more correctly interpret 75% of answers to yes/no Masayoshi Son – that’s more than enough. universal – easier to adapt and rewrite.” questions. There are consumer applications “There’s only one thing [members of the Working with the Royal Hospital for for the technology too, including computer SoftBank Group have in] common: we all Neuro-Disability also meant navigating a gaming headsets. work for the happiness of people. Money is course through an ethical minefield, with a Cost, though, is often the stumbling not the most important driver, it’s just one stringent approvals process before the trials block. “I’d love to find a way to make this of the results.” could take place. The impact on each patient tech more accessible,” says Joel. “The Royal had to be carefully considered, too. “It’s a Hospital for Neuro-Disability is well-funded, tiring process looking at visual stimuli, so we but even they weren’t able to buy it.” Read more: joeleaton.co.uk Visual stimuli didn’t want to make too much of it,” he says. And at ARM, Joel’s worked on projects and feedback “In the end, we decided to have a low-key to bring the technology to life for young > Musician score display > BCI score selector concert for patients and their families.” people. “At last year’s Big Bang Fair, I made Joel’s work paid off; feedback was an installation so children could control overwhelmingly positive. One patient with music signals and graphics using arm muscle

14 Issue 01 / April 2017 15 Diversity & Inclusion Taking control + shaping our future

EVOLVING

OURSELVES_ When you have the ability to engineer your own destiny, you suddenly face some tough ethical choices. And that goes for companies as well as people…

Evolution – it’s what drives our diverse DON’T BE AVERAGE ARM’s engineers were female. He’d realized natural world (at least, if Charles Humanity has never been in greater that he’d fallen into the trap of assuming Darwin had his workings right). But control of its own destiny. But, to misquote women don’t want to be engineers, and had when it comes to the development of Spider-Man, with great engineering capability been content to leave it at that. “What I was the species, recent years have shown comes great responsibility. ‘Just because we saying was: ‘Other people do much better it’s not so much Mother Nature as can, does that mean we should?’ is an ethical than us.’ I was quite happy being average.” human nature in the driving seat. debate with compelling arguments on both Mike’s not the only person arriving Thanks to the rise of technology, the sides. Engineering the body could pull down at the thought that, in order to thrive, march of man is taking us into virgin territory. barriers to a more fulfilling life, allowing companies like ARM have to rally against And, if US-Mexican businessman and author potentially marginalized voices to not just such assumptions and become more diverse Javier Enriquez is to be believed, to a new claim their spot on a level playing field, but and inclusive – not just in gender but in iteration of humanity entirely. In his eyes, lead the pack. On the flipside, meddling in everything from sexuality, race and culture, Homo Evolutis – a species defined by its the organic progression of nature’s design to working styles and ways of thinking. ability to take direct and deliberate control has many quaking in their boots. Who are ARM co-founder Lee Smith (ARM fellow, over its own evolution – will be next in line we to control our evolution when we have Development Solutions Group) was with Mike to the throne, in what he calls the ‘ultimate no real idea of where it might lead? to witness ARM’s evolution first-hand, from reboot’. Most of us will glance this new life, And it’s not just a question that applies a few people in a barn in the early 1990s, to he says; our grandchildren will live it. to the species, but to the way we function, the global company of almost 5,000 people it Only a generation ago this would have grow, and organize ourselves as a society. is today. And he’s very clear where he stands seemed pure fantasy. But there’s plenty to While it seems natural that any business when it comes to engineering its next phase. suggest we’re already a long way down that should want to tweak its composition “It’s about the evolutionary resilience road, whether that’s organs grown in petri deliberately – changing its make-up and of the organization,” he says. “I’ve spent the dishes, electronic implants (from neural including more voices and experiences to past 33 years working in what is a turbulent, pacemakers to digital cochlea), wearable accelerate faster and improve its shape and global and dangerous industry. It has only technology, or prosthetics that think – plus, scope – it’s often met with resistance. So rarely felt safe and stable, and never for of course, the unimaginable power of the should an organization simply roll along as very long. So should we be building a Internet of Things to connect it all together. it has always has, allowing natural selection mono-cultural, specialist organization, In fact, the rate of progress is such that to decide its fate, or should it take control? analogous to the giant panda, which is artificial eyes and ears may soon be able to Mike Muller (CTO) is clear on where totally dependent on a supply of bamboo perform better than ours, giving those that he stands, although it took a revelation shoots? Run the thought experiment: to me have them a distinct evolutionary advantage. last year to highlight it. In his talk at the that seems catastrophic. We’re working in 2016 ARM Leadership Conference (ALC), an increasingly global market, and the best he spoke about how his acceptance of chance of surviving and thriving long-term ARM’s poor level of diversity didn’t lies with building an organization open to really fit with his, “Cambridge, arrogant, all opinions, perspectives, and viewpoints.” intellectual, ‘I must win at everything I do’” view of the world. WHY CHANGE? In that talk, he specifically discussed the While the ethical questions here may fact that at the time of speaking, only 11% of not seem as pressing as those that arise

17 Diversity & Inclusion Taking control + shaping our future

say it’s the greatest in world, and that for example, or they may feel left out of WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? everyone needs to pick it up and run with it. key conversations.” “Should we be building a Worries about deployment, compatibility Ian Ferguson (vice president, worldwide Unconscious bias can mono-cultural, specialist and more would only come in later,” she marketing and strategic alliances) agrees. affect who you hire, continues. “But the thought diversity [the “We should all have the freedom to share organization, analogous when you promote, how idea of boosting innovation and creative frustrations,” he says, “whether you’re you review, even how you to the giant panda, which problem-solving by ensuring you have a male or female, or in Korea and feel your shape organizational is totally dependent on a mix of different cultures, backgrounds, career is limited, or in the Bay Area and policy. So how do you supply of bamboo shoots? To and personalities at the table] in the team challenged by working in a group that’s know if your unknown me that seems catastrophic.” today brings in good software engineering primarily in Cambridge. That should all be prejudices are calling practices and customer orientation right open for dialog.” the shots? Take the test… Lee Smith from the outset.” Having taken up roles in the US prior QUOTAS VS. QUALITY Harvard’s Implicit to India, at IBM and ARM, Aparajita is also While the ethics of diversity and inclusion Association Test (IAT) from human-tech hybrids, opposition and keen to reiterate that she hasn’t personally may appear simple when compared to the measures attitudes and resistance can still be very strong. Many experienced discrimination or felt she had a ethics of engineering humanity, they still beliefs that people people within a given organization won’t problem being heard at work. Is it common inspire debates that continue to run. may be unwilling or believe there’s a problem, in gender balance Take ARM’s decision to set its first unable to report. The or other forms of diversity, perhaps writing company-wide focus for diversity on the IAT may be especially "Deliberately shaping the evolution it off as mere political correctness, or a issue of gender. The initial target is for interesting if it frustrating exercise in ticking boxes. Others of an organization to be more diverse females to make up 21.5% of the workforce shows that you have an may be concerned about the dangers of is just one part of the equation. by the end of 2018 (up from 16.5% at the implicit attitude that setting numerical targets, the potential Inclusion has a role to play too, start of 2016, when the initiative was you didn't know about. compromise in quality that can come from ensuring that everyone within the introduced). Cue plenty of impassioned pushing to meet them, and the danger of discussion around whether quotas You can select which company has a chance to be heard." upsetting a perfectly good system in which spark a drop in quality, whether positive IAT to focus on, from everyone is simply ‘an employee’ (or even discrimination is a good thing, and whether skin tone, sexuality or just ‘a person’), and gender never previously for things like gender, sexuality or cultural targets mean anything at all when, really, it’s disability, to weight, needed to come into it. millions of copies, despite being based on senior leaders in Bangalore, she manages background not to be a cause for issues in about getting a range of voices to positions religion or age. The test Yet diversity and inclusion has proven knitting, creativity and craftwork – hardly a team developing architectural test suites the logic-based engineering environment? where they can truly make a difference. takes a few minutes and to be a crucial part of a company’s classic gaming tropes. As with all games, it used by ARM and its partners to prevent Lee thinks so. “Engineers generally don’t “A number of people have expressed the results could leave evolution. A 2015 McKinsey report on 366 was a collaboration by coders, storytellers, inaccurate implementation of its architecture. care about this stuff,” he continues. “But surprise – worried about the number you more aware of your public companies found that those in the artists and sound designers. But Media As her team has grown, from 12 hardware they care passionately about a handful of setting and targets,” Ian says. “We cannot own biases and more able top quartile for ethnic and racial diversity in Molecule, the small UK studio behind engineers to over 70 people now, she’s micro issues: ‘As an engineer, do I care compromise on the quality of people to compensate for them. management were 35% more likely to have the game, also understood that the more deliberately altered its fabric. “You can’t all be if the person on the other end of an IRC coming in. But a team is better if the group financial returns above their industry mean, diverse the group of people designing the from the same mold,” she says. “We now have connection is female, gay or Muslim? No. doesn’t just include a whole series of people tinyurl.com/arm-harvard while those in the top quartile for gender game, the more interesting and appealing hardware engineers plus software engineers But, boy, they’d better agree on where to who act like they do. Managers can have the diversity were 15% more likely to have that game would become. and those adept at customer management. put the braces after an ‘if’ statement, or tendency to hire in their own image – and returns above the industry mean. These people look at the same problem from I’ll flame them!’” actually some of the best teams have a wide For a specific example of why that PERSPECTIVES MEAN IMPROVEMENT different angles, mirroring all the different However, without careful thought, range of all sorts of people; people who may be the case, look at video games. Aparajita Bhattacharya (director, engineering, perspectives and opinions out there. this natural social dynamic will itself are incredibly conservative, for example, When LittleBigPlanet was released on the Architecture and Technology Group) is on “You see it in product discussions. In discriminate – strongly favoring the mixing with those who are larger than life PlayStation in 2008, it wound up selling board with this principle. One of ARM’s the past an engineer would build a solution, emergence of a ‘people like us’ culture. and full of ideas.” It’s a clear example of unconscious bias Sexuality, cultural background, disability, – when your background, culture and ways of thinking, past experiences: the rich SPOTLIGHT: D&I ARM STYLE experiences influence the opinions you variety of factors that make us who we are form and consequently the decisions can shape our evolution as individuals, as ARM’s Pallavi Rao, male, and we don’t have engineering and math differently from how you make, without you knowing it. At organizations and as a society. But it’s the (director, talent the representation of (STEM) initiative, we’re they were done in the ARM, the launch of project EveryOne way we choose to respond to these factors management and women at all levels in aiming to bolster interest past. That’s not always is a demonstration of the company’s – seeking out and drawing in as many varied leadership) talks the organization – so among the youth and easy: people can agree commitment to tackle unconscious bias influences, opinions and insights as we can engineering evolution… we’re focusing first on develop the pipeline that with you but still, and ensure everyone has a chance to be – that has the power to make or break attracting, retaining and way by partnering with under their day-to-day heard. Through workshops, e-modules us: to unite or to segregate, to reveal “We launched ARM’s progressing more women. education charities and pressures, simply revert and tools that help people mitigate the potential or to expose prejudice. Diversity & Inclusion team going to schools. to their normal behavior. impact of bias in the decisions they make, So should we be designers of our in early 2016, with the The wider issue is how We need the right the project aims to create an environment own destiny, shaping the people and decision to start with to get people – men and We’ve made some progress incentives, mechanisms where each and every voice is heard organizations we want to be in the future? the issue that stands out women alike – into the with diversity and and tools to make sure and welcomed, acknowledging and That’s for each individual to decide. But as most in the technology company, and how to keep inclusion, but we have to the same questions are appreciating the differences each of us long as we listen to each other, engage in the industry: gender them so they love being at get firmer in the actions being asked everywhere. brings to the workplace. debate and include everyone’s perspective diversity. As a company ARM and grow here. With we take – which means And it has to sift “It’s about feeling connected,” in the decisions we take, we’ll be heading in we’re predominantly our science technology, doing things a little through from leadership.” Aparajita continues. “People may not the right direction. feel included if they’re working remotely,

18 Issue 01 / April 2017 19 Side projects Jon Baker + Ivan Pedersen

TECH SPECS

SIDE > Jon Baker > Ivan Pedersen Jon’s micro:bit video game engineer, Systems and staff technical artist, is made up of… Software Group Enlighten • 640x480 compliant VGA, outputting 128x80 pixels in 16 BY colors at 60hz. This has been further extended to 136x80 pixels – the maximum possible SIDE_ “PEOPLE TOLD ME I COULDN’T DO IT. SO I DID.” A WEB OF CONNECTIVITY given a cycle time of three clocks per pixel (640*16/25/3). “I like breaking things,” says Jon Baker. MY WAY IS THE HARD WAY For Ivan Pedersen, lateral thinking led between nodes represent their relationship • A screen buffer – this takes Building a video “It’s always nice when you try out new For Jon, setting himself a new challenge is to a lightbulb moment. He’s using 3D to each other, using the Fruchterman- up 5k of RAM, with 2k for code. ways of making something work. I feel I a way of life, whether it’s baking a cake or visualization skills to help ARM see large, Reingold algorithm to embed the graph Flash usage stands at a few k. game at a board learned this early on by playing with Lego.” building a robot. “I like to find solutions to complex data sets in a new way – starting into 3D space and give clear view of its • A sprite engine, including Pulling things apart and making problems. I've also been working with The with its organizational chart (OrgChart). structure. The algorithm reveals a repulsive z-ordering. Animation is possible game price. Using something different with them is an ARM Prince’s Trust on a robotics course to help “I’ve got extensive experience of force between each pair of employees as the sprites are stored in RAM. 3D visualization way of seeing the world. These days, kids understand they can achieve more and working with real-time rendering platforms that decreases with their separation, and • A display routine, written in Jon has swapped plastic bricks for the try to inspire the next generation of coders. such as Unreal Engine 4, traditionally used to increases with their connectedness. Multiple assembly language. tech to bring ARM’s micro:bit – the coding toolkit given to every People told me I couldn’t build a video game create games,” he explains. “The software people can collaborate and access the • A pixel generator inside the 11-year-old in the UK, powered by ARM out of the micro:bit. So I did.” offers very powerful tools for rendering spreadsheet from global locations. display routine employing organizational chart techology. Taking the micro:bit’s basic The project is a work in progress. a large amount of data very quickly on a Building something this complex comes self-modifying code. A MOV structure, he’s built a fully capable video But, so far, the results are impressive – he’s variety of display devices, including VR, AR, with its challenges. “Each function needs immediate followed by an STR to to life. Jon Baker game – out of everyday objects. already created 60 or so sprites on screen. and enabling interaction.” to be written from scratch,” Ivan admits. the GPIO is used, taking three “I didn’t think it would work out as well as “So I grabbed pockets of time whenever I cycles. A more typical LDR/STR and Ivan Pedersen REACHING LEVEL 2 this,” he admits. “I’ve really pushed myself. FROM ‘SHOOT ‘EM UP’ TO ‘MAP IT OUT’ could to work on it – usually in the evening pair would take four cycles. are ripping up the “The idea started when I saw early It can be frustrating when you’re looking for As well as computer games, visualization when my children were in bed and my wife The immediate part of the MOV prototypes,” Jon explains. “It’s a cool the answers, but then you get a rush when software is also used in architecture, TV and was watching TV. It’s very much a prototype instruction is overwritten tech user’s manual project, but I didn’t think people were really you fix a problem.” car visualization. But that’s not the extent at the moment.” with pixel data during the pushing the device’s capabilities. I wanted And that, ultimately, is what it’s all of its uses. Alongside William Matthews hblank period. and evolving ARM’s to make a game with animation and capture about. The game’s the thing, as they say. and Damon Civin from the Information CULTURE CLUB it on the big screen. But the micro:bit Management team, Ivan pushed the software “We’re looking at how everybody relates to thinking about how contains a 16MHz Cortex-M0, so I really I WISH I'D INVENTED... into unchartered territory. “I wanted to each other at ARM,” he explains of where Ivan describes how his project had to push the architecture to its limits.” “The ballpoint pen – Laszlo Biro might have test out new ways of understanding large he’s taking the project next. “I’d love to try came to life: to approach problems. Jon wanted a low-tech experience ended up penniless, but he still had the data sets,” he says. “I had a conversation and show that even though we look like • Data is output as a .csv file for his game, including a games controller satisfaction of inventing something with a with Jem Davies (general manager, Media we’re far apart in the organization, we’re which includes the names of and low-res tools for plugging it into a wide reach – over 100 billion pens have been Processing Group) and he suggested looking actually working close together. people, the clustered location screen. “I worked on it for four months sold to date. Interestingly, ARM passed that at our organization – the most obvious thing “I like inspiring people to be excited and other data extracted via solid,” he continues. “You have to change number in March 2017, so it’s nice to be part was to look at our OrgChart.” So at Global about new technology,” he concludes. the OrgChart API. pixels 25 million times per second to get of something as far reaching.” Engineering Conference (GEC) 2016, Ivan “What’s so encouraging is how immersed it • Visualization is developed different colors. It didn’t work first time took the data set tracing the relationships makes people feel in our culture.” using UE4 – based on C++. I set round – it took a lot of building.” There Watch more: tinyurl.com/arm-jon between concepts in the ARM Wiki and built a up a struct which will parse are specialist tools to tackle these types demo visualizing ARM’s interconnectedness. I WISH I'D INVENTED... through the cells in the .csv of problems, but he didn’t use them. “It’s “Alternating current. I’m a bit of a Tesla fan.” file and interpret the data as much more fun to build my own!” he laughs. SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION specific types and store the He describes the OrgChart as a graph Get connected: “I was inspired to get in touch data in arrays. where the nodes are employees and the arcs about my side project after reading about • I set up a class to represent Herman Schistad’s projects last issue. I’d not each person in the OrgChart with > Jon with The Prince's Trust group > Ivan's OrgChart heard of them before and I’ve since got in common properties such as name, touch with him.” division, position in 3D space and a 3D graphic to show the data. • I loop through all the data in the array, instantiate the class per person and populate the properties of the variables based on the unique data. • The engine has pre-built templates for supporting the VIVE – we used one of these. • The interaction and navigation aspects are scripted using a high level API. • We’re running on a consumer level PC with a dedicated GPU.

20 Issue 01 / April 2017 21 The story behind AArch Sophie Wilson + Dave Jaggar + Richard Grisenthwaite

From popping corks in the 1980s to over 100 billion shipments today, the evolution of ARM’s architecture is a story frequently shared. But behind the curtain, it’s teamwork, not technology, that plays the lead role.

“There’s a confidence that took eight hours and broke new processors in search of the For Sophie and Steve, it was we can identify the problems ground. “We left exhilarated,” performance they were looking a balancing act that unfolded over that need to be solved, but he continues. “It was an for. It also took them around the reams of paper, photocopies a willingness to work with endorsement that we were doing world: to Israel to visit National and scribblings, with a constant others to come up with the the right thing and getting the Semiconductor, then to Phoenix, back and forth between what solutions.” It’s March 2017 and right level of engagement with to meet Western Design Center the architect wanted and what Richard Grisenthwaite (chief senior thinkers in the industry.” (WDC) – the team originally the microarchitect could do. architect and ARM fellow) responsible for the much-loved “We’d never done it before so is musing on what has shaped YES WE CAN 6502. “We expected to be we had no idea what we were the ARM architecture over The instinct to take a chance going into some sort of Silicon doing,” Sophie admits about how the last 25 years. “There’s and try something different paid Valley style building with loads the design was forced to take a tremendous amount of off, with that 2001 Technical of engineers,” she recalls. shape. “For example, I wanted experience that comes from Advisory Board (TAB) informing “What actually happened was an ‘add-compare branch’, but working in collaboration, the collaborative, multi-sourced we ended up on the outskirts Steve couldn’t work out how listening to what everyone architecture Richard is custodian of Phoenix at WDC’s address, the microarchitecture would has got to say and of today. where there were a couple do it. We saw things in other working together to define Track back 16 years and a of bungalows staffed by some people’s designs that we couldn’t the solutions.” similar story is being told, this senior engineers and a bunch work out how to make the time shaping the foundations of grad students.” After microarchitecture do, so we For Richard, it’s an ARM trait didn’t put those things in. On the that really demonstrated itself other hand we understood what “Even a simple microprocessor in 2001, when instinct prevailed a priority encoder was because over nerves and he got a room like ARM1 cannot be built we could work out how to do full of seriously big players to by an individual, even today, that. That’s how it went. discuss the ARM architecture’s “I imagine that most capabilities. “We were working when the development tools architects would agree, the on v6 and we recognized the are so much better.” microarchitecture influences the need to consult with people design of architecture more than like Symbian, Microsoft, Intel Sophie Wilson one might like,” she continues, and Motorola, as it was then,” although she’s keen to stress he explains. “The idea was to that building microprocessors walk through the changes we hinges on collaboration. “Even had for the architecture and get a simple microprocessor like their feedback on it.” Along with ARM1 cannot be built by an Mike Muller (ARM’s current individual, even today, when the CTO) and Keith Clarke (vice of ARM itself. Sophie Wilson that visit Sophie realized, “If development tools are so much president, operations, TSG), and Steve Furber – the team those guys could design a better. We often talk about Richard wrote 13 slides to share. behind the Acorn Micro – are microprocessor, we could.” ARM1 having been built by a He then fretted all the way to on a plane back from Phoenix, Deciding to try their hand team of seven people, but it was Austin, USA, that everyone USA. Since the launch of the at building a microprocessor many more. We had a slogan, would baulk at being dragged Micro in 1981, they’d been in was one thing. Actually doing it ‘MIPS for the Masses’, to keep us there. He needn’t have worried. a “quandary”, as Sophie puts was quite another. “We started honest and focused – to remind “They had a huge amount to it. “We knew how to build far playing fantasy instruction set us all of what we were doing.” say and we had a really exciting better memory systems than in our heads,” she continues. debate about technology, any processor anyone was “We’d walk down to the Robin NEED FOR CHANGE independent of the fact they supplying us with… If you could Hood pub – before it became By identifying the need for a were a whole different bunch access your instruction memory corrupted with corporatism better microprocessor and of companies. It was, ‘how very wide and very fast, you’d and lousy food – and we’d talk seizing the opportunity to did Microsoft work, how did have a lot of performance – but about the designs and keep create it, Sophie and Steve Symbian work, what else would nobody was building a processor refining them. Because it’s shaped ARM’s origin story, they like…?’ They wanted to like that. So we more or less not enough to have a fantasy going on to create the first dive in and ask questions, all in went ‘harrumph!’ for a while.” – you’ve got to understand ARM-powered machine in 1986 a very interactive way.” Rather It was a harrumph that took how to implement the and the first four-chip machine than lasting the 45 minutes them back to the drawing board, microarchitecture under it. It’s in 1987. Seizing an opportunity > Steve Furber’s hand-drawn layout for the ARM 1, 1983 Richard feared, the meeting designing and building different quite a balancing act.” to create something better

22 Issue 01 / April 2017 23 The story behind AArch Sophie Wilson + Dave Jaggar + Richard Grisenthwaite

> Acorn's BBC Micro computer signed have support for 16-bit memory Although never released, Dave's into a bit of a shouting match Apple, the final bit was, ‘What’s > Bowl of chips by Sophie Wilson, Hermann Hauser, Chris access. “We were replacing a thinking with TOM lay the where Qualcomm tried to coming in the future?’ – and we Curry, Andy Hopper and Chris Turner lot of 16-bit processors at the groundwork for Thumb-2 and monopolize the direction, much talked about 64-bit. One person time, but we had to handle all the Cortex-M0, the second to Microsoft’s dislike. We had to actually laughed and said, ‘What that as 32-bit data, doubling the most licensed of all ARM designs, show them the value of working on earth are you doing this for? power consumption and halving announced in 2009. together, with peers, rather You’re never going to need this in the performance,” he says. But as is so often the case, than taking us over.” mobile,’” he says. “At this point it “It became clear that the ARM forward movement doesn’t Establishing an effective became very clear that our time processor had to have some happen without friction. collaborative relationship horizons were a lot longer than massive changes if it was going Such dramatic changes to the with Qualcomm marked the our partners’. A year later I got to be successful.” architecture caused debate, beginning of a new chapter an email from someone who’d Although he joined ARM division and controversy at for ARM. Before the 2000s, been in that meeting saying, in 1991, Dave’s knowledge of the time, as Dave recalls. need dictated development. ‘Remember that 64-bit stuff? processors stretched back “Simon Segars (who worked in S u d d e n l y , w i t h t h e c o l l a b o r a t i v e You didn’t stop working on it much further. His MSc thesis hardware at the time) always approach secured by TAB, new did you? We’ve got about 50 on RISC and a chance email grumbles – somewhat joking, possibilities – and a new sense people who want to talk to you fired off to Steve Furber was somewhat serious – that in of responsibility – emerged. about it.’” the reason he’d been hired. my original pitch I said most of For Richard, the transition So he knew what needed to the ARM processor would be from 32-bit to 64-bit computing happen. “When it comes to left unchanged by Thumb,” he brought this sharply into focus. “The difference this time was that and the impact working together Thumb, there’s very little laughs. “In fact, the company “It was 2007 that myself, Dave can have, for the greater good as no one had asked for this work. invention there,” says Dave. was split in opinion between high Seal and about three or four well as individual gain, that will “Seymour Cray, the granddad volume embedded control and others started doing ‘what In fact no one outside ARM even make a difference in the long of all RISC architectures, used low volume high performance if’ type scenarios for a 64-bit thought it mattered.” term. The relationships ARM a 16-bit instruction size in the processors. The real lesson architecture, and we’d try out builds and the characteristics mid 1960s. IBM, with their from ARM in the 1990s is that various things that could have Richard Grisenthwaite that come with effective ROMP, used a 16-bit format in sometimes difficult decisions worked,” he continues. “We’d teamwork – through challenge the 1980s. So I broke out my need to be made for progress seen Intel, who, when they did and resolution – have been a software simulator and tried to happen.” their transition from 32-bit to It was part of the change of Richard continues. “We come constant in the organization’s to define a 16-bit instruction 64-bit, had done a massive start where ARM sat in the industry up with the ideas, which is a evolution, and, under Richard’s “It became clear that the ARM processor format that I could graft onto A NEW CHAPTER from scratch – ‘here’s how the and a paradigm shift in Richard’s tremendous responsibility.” watchful eye, will continue to ARM’s 32-bit data path.” Embracing the challenge of world should look and I don’t eyes. “If you go back to where So with that responsibility be. “It’s not just about ARM, had to have some massive changes if it Dave found that because of change and all that it brings is care how it’s going to work for we were in 1999 – the previous on its shoulders, what’s next it’s about the industry – about was going to be successful.” the code density issue he could a feature of the architecture’s everyone else’ approach, and generation – it had been our big for the architecture? “We’re leadership and making the world push the ARM instructions to development that’s endured, it was a terrible failure. So we partners who’d really helped us working very closely with the a better place,” he concludes. Dave Jaggar one side, fetch 16-bit Thumb despite the significant overhauls knew the way forward would understand what needed to be University of Cambridge now on “I think that’s a really exciting instructions, translate them to it's been through. It triggers be to evolve the world from done,” he says. “Now we were something about security (see opportunity we’ve got, using our drove Dave Jaggar too, who 32-bit instructions and the core the sort of healthy debate and 32-bit to 64-bit instead.” expected to take the lead.” p36). It’s a problem in computing position in the industry to drive assumed responsibility for the didn’t know the difference. As a ultimate collaboration that It’s a responsibility that at the moment and you could something that is for good.” architecture in the 1990s. His result, it had higher performance Richard sees as a fundamental SHOWING THE WAY the whole Architecture and just sit there and go, ‘It’s not recognition of the need for than a 16-bit architecture, and a component of ARM’s approach. The difference this time was that Technology Group takes our responsibility, it’s just bad We’re sure Sophie and Dave improvement led to one of higher code density than a 32-bit “Throughout ARM’s history we no one had asked for this work. extremely seriously, because it’s software,’ – but it doesn’t work would drink to that. ARM’s seminal evolutionary architecture. Retrofitting a new could have just been dictating, There was no customer demand not just ARM as a business, but like that.” developments – and something compact instruction set onto ‘here’s how it is’. And if we had driving the development. In society as a whole that benefits. And that’s the key to it all. that Pete Harrod (senior an existing machine was we would have failed because fact no one outside ARM “We’re doing a lot more thought ARM doesn’t exist in a vacuum. functional safety manager, something that had never we would have upset people,” even thought it mattered. “I leadership in the mobile space, but Nor does technology. It’s the CPG, and one of ARM’s been done before and was he explains. “We’ve had to remember in a meeting with even in things like networking,” partnerships that can be formed founders) named as ARM’s subsequently copied by MIPS, listen, but we’ve wanted to defining moment – Thumb. IBM, Motorola and more recently do that – because we aren’t At the time, ARM was RISC-V, rewriting the rulebook arrogant enough to think we ARCHITECTURE: TERMS AND CONDITIONS trying to get its technology into on instruction sets and continuing have all the answers. I think Richard Grisenthwaite breaks it to the software, 'In order to use by which you will delimit when that mobile phones. “I was seeing a ARM’s leading edge trajectory. humility is something that ARM down for us… the hardware correctly, you must interrupt will be taken. lot of customers and the same still has, and certainly had a lot use these particular sequences of problems kept coming up – our PROGRESS IS SELDOM PRETTY of back then.” “The most misused term in computers operations and, if you do not, the To put it another way, the code was much bigger than the Thumb was implemented in Richard is recollecting TAB is the word 'architecture'. The hardware is allowed to do whatever architecture tries to give as much code we were replacing,” Dave the ARM7TDMI and got ARM again, and how it has always best way to think about it is as a it feels like.' leeway for innovation by the hardware says. “Now this was surprising into its first phone – the Nokia highlighted the importance contract between the hardware and designers as possible, so they can because I’d always thought ARM 6110. More than 19 billion of strong relationships, the software, in that it conveys When you look how interrupts are find the performance they want without had good code density – ARM’s ARM7TDMIs have shipped to inside the team and beyond. rights and responsibilities. handled and instructions are fetched, breaking the requirements for the first brochure even states this.” date. Despite Thumb's success, “When Qualcomm came in as there is an envelope of allowed software to run. It’s much like the He also discovered that Dave still wanted to go further architectural partner in 2003, The architecture says to the behaviors that can happen. Exactly way a good contract gives people the ARM processor wasn’t as – removing the 32-bit instruction we really had to stress our software, 'If you put in this bit when an interrupt will be taken in freedom to operate, while still low cost, or as low power, as set completely, to create collaborative approach,” he says. pattern, you will get this result a processor is not defined by the meeting the obligations.” it could be – and that it didn’t TOM (Thumb Only Machine). “The 2004 TAB degenerated out of the hardware.' It also says architecture. Instead it defines tools

24 Issue 01 / April 2017 25 The story behind AArch Sophie Wilson + Dave Jaggar + Richard Grisenthwaite

THE ALTERNATIVE STORY

Pulling no punches, the ARM architecture's custodians tell the tale of its evolution – in their own words.

> Sophie Wilson > Dave Jaggar > Richard Grisenthwaite

1981 1985 1986 1990 1991 1992 1995 1997 2001 2007 2008-9 2013

ACORN MICRO ACORN TEAM FIRST ARM ARM LTD. DAVE ARM7 THUMB RICHARD RICHARD'S CONVERSATIONS 64-BIT SWITCHES FIRST 64-BIT RELEASED VISITS WESTERN POWERED OPENED FOR JOINS ARM DEVELOPED LAUNCHED JOINS ARM MEMORABLE ABOUT 64-BIT "FROM BEING PHONE LAUNCHED DESIGN CENTER MACHINE BUSINESS TECHNICAL ARCHITECTURE SEEN AS A BY APPLE RELEASED ADVISORY BOARD BEGIN JOKE, TO BEING (TAB) HELD F U N D A M E N TA L" On taking the leap: "'M r S oftw a r e' On motivation: On making the move: Lee Smith gave "I always me a job with a six "We were just getting to know On making it happen: thought ARM had month trial period Apple and we talked about what's "Hermann always says quite good code if I could get over coming in the future and 64-bit, and he gave us two things density but it was to England – ARM I remember one of the people there that Intel and Microsoft just a bit better couldn't afford laughed. A year later they suddenly didn't give their teams – than really awful. to fly me over!" switched from it being a joke no time and no money." That was a bloody to it being fundamental." shock to say t h e l e a s t."

On doing what On focus: On leading the way: "That’s when it really hit home. On what next: needed to be done: "It was clear that It was our responsibility to be "Andy Hopper wanted the next "There was an almost formalizing the thinking that far ahead, because machine to be more competent. endless stream of mistakes architecture had never if we weren't, nobody else was Hermann Hauser wanted an office and consequences. The good had much attention. going to do it for us." automation computer. We just wanted news is, it was so bad an end to the discussions." it had to be taken "Simon Segars said in a new direction it should only take us t o s u c c e e d ." a couple of months to write the documents. It took nine."

26 Issue 01 / April 2017 27 Computer vision Machine seeing + machine learning

SEEING IS BELIEVING_

> Person being tracked For so many of us, the ability to see gives shape to the world. The ability > Upper body facing forward to know what’s being seen 0.89 enables us to understand 1.15 it – to make choices that > Head facing forward > Full body facing forward 18 100 affect our lives and others. 0.62 With advances in computer 1.75 0.78 0.91 0.57 12 0.62 vision, sight is finding its 1.30 1.79 0.59 0.83 95 7 1.35 1.65 100 15 way onto silicon… 11 1.20 6 0.97 100 11 100 6 92 95 97 8 96 Imagine entering an office where the lighting, temperature, and even seating adjust to your > Head facing forward preferences. It’s effortless, automatic, and will be made possible when computers know who you are.

“It’s about teaching computers to interpret images like humans do,” says Tim Ramsdale (general manager, Imaging and Vision Group – or IVG). “It’s going to be a fundamental shift in the way electronics operate with people.” > Upper body facing forward Cameras do a good job of looking – there’s even a degree of shared anatomy between the hardware we build and that we’re born with. But it’s our mind, not our eyes, that turns visible light into something we understand. This crucial and complicated difference is what makes sight incredibly difficult for computers to replicate. “A tree blowing in the wind could fool an IP camera (used for CCTV for example), into thinking there is someone at the front door,” explains Judd Heape, (senior director, marketing, IVG). “The simple motion detection is quite crude, so at present it can’t accurately do what we’d like it to.” Computer vision could change all that. By developing > Person being tracked technology that enables a computer to understand what its camera is seeing, it can interpret the scene, objects > Full body facing forward within it and how everything interacts to understand the surrounding world.

28 Issue 01 / April 2017 29 Computer vision Machine seeing + machine learning

“Seeing leads to comprehension by “What you really want is can detect an unlimited number of people the machine of its own position within the for the machine learning or objects. It can see at full HD resolution scene, and to the ability to make intellectual at 60 frames per second, which is quite device to learn on the decisions based on such continuous unique in the industry.” observations,” says Alexey Lopich (senior fly, and understand the “Apical’s problem had always been manager, vision prototyping, IVG). “And, environment. So rather growth – acquiring the resources and most importantly, being able to make those than a human training engineering talent we needed,” says decisions at the right place (size) and right the device offline so that Judd. “Revenue growth and customer time (speed).” projects were going great guns, but we just it can understand ten couldn’t hire fast enough. ARM promised SEE: CHANGE objects, it can learn on us incredible growth – which has already “As soon as the machine understands its own and figure out happened. We started with about 100 what it’s looking at, where people are in thousands of objects.” people and in the next couple of years the scene, how close they are, what the this will be 250. So having the ARM and Judd Heape depth is… it may be able to distinguish SoftBank resources behind us will allow us between typical and abnormal behaviors,” to grow a lot more quickly than I would’ve “It’s not only technical Judd continues. “Which means it could ever thought possible. We’re now able to potentially understand whether there is any develop faster, fuel our growth with current acumen needed, but danger involved.” “The level of accuracy was just not customers, engage with new customers and also legal and cultural Imagine someone running in an good enough for most applications, so open up more opportunities with products matters so that the airport. With the right context, security [in the past] you would see applications than we had in the past.” technology is introduced computers could interpret their actions in which there was high tolerance,” Erik harmoniously rather than to judge whether that person is a potential Learned-Miller, associate professor of NOT QUITE 20:20 VISION security threat or just rushing to catch computer science at the University of Even with Apical as part of IVG and SoftBank turning into some Big their flight. Massachusetts, explains. Applications such behind it all, there’s still a long way to go B r o th e r d ysto pia.” In healthcare, too, computer vision tech as quality control which, in manufacturing, to realize the potential of computer vision. Alexey Lopich has the potential to save lives, as Ian Hughes, compared products that had just been made Teaching a computer what it’s seeing is one an analyst at IT research and advisory firm with photos of others to check for defects. thing, but things become really interesting 451 Research, explains: “Imperial College Useful, not revolutionary. when a computer learns to see by itself. London has an experimental open heart “If you think about it, machines are From the moment we first open giving them everything on a silver platter, Thankfully, there’s no need to start it all,” Tim concludes. “Computer vision, surgery device with fly-by wire scalpels. The already very good at certain tasks, where our eyes as newborns, we begin feeding just by having them observe the world,” adds panicking about an Orwellian style robot robotic solutions, and AIs are better when computer vision and other sensors monitor the environment is constrained (factories, our brain countless images to help us Erik, talking about the future of the industry takeover just yet. Rather than dictatorial they’re focused on a specific task. This the beating heart, but present a live 3D agriculture, in lane driving) – where there understand our environment. Right now, and his research work at the University of citizen control, the industry is focused on shouldn’t surprise us, as humans are like image to the surgeon as if it was a static is reduced distraction and straightforward computers need to be spoon-fed. Massachusetts, where he’s looking at how the positive applications of computer vision that too – no one is great at everything.” heart. As the surgeon operates, the scalpels decision making,” adds Alexey. But to really “What you really want is for a computer to get computers to think beyond what they and how the technology can be used to Perhaps the most exciting part of compensate for the beating of the heart have an impact, computer vision needs to learn on the fly, and understand the see. “You do this by training it to make a change people’s lives for the better. this story is that we don’t know where rather than the other surgeon doing that.” to command the “unconstrained, real-life environment,” Judd explains. “So that guess and then you measure the difference computer vision is going to take us. When At the other end of the spectrum, a environment, with unpredictability, a huge rather than a human training the device between what it predicted and what actually DAYS OF FUTURE PAST it comes to the possibilities the technology more everyday example of how computer variety of objects and scenes”, he says. offline in order for it to understand ten happened, and use that as a training signal,” From changing the way we interact with offers and the problems it could address, vision can contribute to healthcare is the “Development of computer vision will enable objects, it can learn on its own and figure he adds. “So instead of labeling things by computers to creating human-like Artificial we’re only scratching the surface. We don’t next generation of home care systems, machines to truly see and represent the world out thousands.” hand, you simply have the computer try to Intelligence (AI), the IVG team is brimming know how computer vision will be used in which imitate humans in their understanding internally.” To make the unknown known. The brain is a complicated organ and predict the future and let the future itself be with new ideas for the technology – and, the years to come, but what we do know of the context of what is happening. “By In recent years, companies such as recreating its ability to process images and the teaching mechanism.” just like many of us, it’s stories that inspire is that it has the potential to fundamentally observing the elderly, it’s possible to detect Apical set out to do exactly that. understand things – although the ultimate Of course, training computers to them. “I think as technologists, we are change our interaction with technology very early signs of both mental and physical Founded in 2002, Apical was one of the goal – is challenging, to say the least. understand, to learn by themselves, and imitating sci-fi and art a lot of the time,” and the world around us. The reason we illnesses and then act to prevent those UK’s fastest growing technology companies “Convolutional neural networks (a type to predict the future opens up a whole Judd laughs. “A lot of the things from Back know it? Because we’re making a judgment, – rather than reacting to a fact when it has when acquired by ARM in 2016. From local of feed-forward artificial neural network new world of challenges we have only just to the Future have come to life in one way or an interpretation based on what we see in already happened (for example, falls),” says tone mapping and HDR to light-adaptive creating a connectivity pattern between begun to explore. “It’s not only technical another. The movies you see today where front of us and what we know. Alexey. “This could allow elderly people to displays, Apical pioneered a number of neurons based on how an animal’s visual acumen needed, but also legal and cultural robots interact with people, and self-driving How long will it be before your computer continue to live independently.” technologies that ship in the majority of cortex is organized), is where the industry matters, and privacy,” says Alexey. “Privacy cars – all of that is going to happen one day.” can do that? high-end smartphones. is really working right now,” Judd continues. issues have been highlighted recently with Away from the blue sky world of FIT FOR THE FUTURE In 2011, the team started focusing “There are probably better ways to the hacking of baby monitors – and with putting your feet up while your robot runs A threat to national security abated. A on vision. The approach they took set architect circuits to learn and understand, so many of the devices surrounding us your day, this kind of thinking could lead challenging medical operation performed them apart. which is what we’ll be working on in the (vacuum cleaners, fridges, smart glasses) to tangible benefits really soon – helping successfully. A smoother start to your day. “It’s not a vision processor that has next few years – trying to help the machine having ‘eyes’, how can we ensure that what parents know where their kids are, helping The life-improving possibilities computer to run code like you might get from learn as efficiently as possible while still we see is used solely for intended purpose? Parkinsons patients understand if they’re vision could offer might seem like a competitors,” Tim explains. “It’s a full being small, secure and lower in power.” We want the technology to be introduced having a seizure, or helping shoppers speed simple-enough next step, but simple is hardware design which means it’s much “Everyone wants to know how we can harmoniously, rather than turning into up their visit to the grocery store. “Right rarely easy and getting there has taken time. lower powered and is extremely fast, as it train computer vision systems without some Big Brother dystopia.” now it’s not about one machine that can do

30 Issue 01 / April 2017 31 WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK Sarah James + Dragos Petrescu WORK WORK:

REBOOTED_The world of work is changing. From new approaches that enable us to work smarter, faster and more flexibly, to our evolving relationship with work itself, what will the future “We’ll soon experience an look like? How will teams be organized? How will managers help shape ARM that welcomes four or ARM’s culture? And what technology will support us in getting our five generations to work every day. It’s crucial that jobs done? we identify commonalities across generations too.”

Sarah James Two pieces of work by the ARM People Team are answering these questions, with innovative results. to achieve their career goals, while requesting Cambridge campus”. Opportunities will be hierarchies and organizational models more feedback and ongoing learning. the same, wherever you are. We'll celebrate – the only way doesn’t have to be ‘up’, it Companies are beginning to implement diversity and create an environment of could be ‘across’. changes too – be it little twists or root-and inclusion. We'll be measured by outcomes, -branch revisions of time-trusted working as opposed to presence. Some of us • The core of ARM magic stays the same practices, from Southwest encouraging its will embrace this whole-heartedly, others The ARM environment provides the 01 employees to take free flights, to Daimler will keep a structured approach – it’s intensity for everyone to reach their full deleting all the emails that build up when its about personal choice. potential. It will reflect the fact that we’re employees are on holiday so they don’t have a high performance and high engagement inbox dread on their return. • Different paths for development organization and, despite growing, we’ll THE FUTURE Younger generations seem to value tech Through optimized technology, we’ll enable protect our organization’s DNA, which but still prefer face time over FaceTime. They development using the time we have available will evolve as the business grows but want informal working environments yet in the day. We’ll be empowered and feel resist some of the less appealing habits of OF WORK_ crave high-spec kit. They love collaboration passionate about sharing our unique skills, large corporations. but desire accelerated career progression. capabilities and expertise with others. They want flexible working hours, as well as Knowledge and information won’t be locked INDIVIDUALS, TOGETHER It’s how people feel, not what people to success for ARM in the future. “Realizing impact on how people work best today and greater freedom to move around laterally away – it will flow seamlessly across ARM What’s so encouraging is how far we’ve do, that will make the difference to the strategic goals set in motion since joining will work better tomorrow. Its resultant (as well as vertically), within a company, and regardless of location, team and role. come already, Sarah says, “and we’re creating a successful workplace for the the SoftBank family will require us to enable white paper offers insights and suggestions are drawn to a less hierarchical structure. beginning the process of architecting our future, says Sarah James (organizational extraordinary growth,” Sarah explains. to help ARM really tap into the talent, Address these and ARM can begin the • Personalization and customization future by using our research to inform our effectiveness specialist, People Team). “That relies on our ability to attract, engage, experience and passion inside the business, process of creating an organization that How we use our systems and tools will be People Strategy.” By collaborating with inspire and retain talent, and for our people while also creating a place where people can attract, inspire and retain talent. But profiled specifically to our needs and our goals. colleagues across ARM in YamJams, the Advances in mobile computing and processor to continue to deliver extraordinary results. love to work. it’s not just about millennials. The Future We could customize our own development People Team has already started to test power continue to transform the way we We want to empower ARM people to work of Work is a ground-up exploration into through access to development budgets, or some of this. connect and do business. Innovations like in a way that suits them.” ON TREND how ARM can work for everyone. “We’ll use a Personalized Augmented Colleague – From technology to remote working ARM’s Intelligent Flexible Cloud network – in With this comes the need to equip It all starts with understanding just what soon experience an ARM that welcomes programmed and gamified through AI – to to innovation, embracing the new is far readiness for the demands of the 5G world people to respond to change, by putting it is that makes some companies more four or five generations to work every day,” give us the knowledge and insight we need, from new for ARM. But understanding the – are set to supercharge the mobile, ‘always- learning at the heart of everything. “The appealing to the next generation than Sarah says. “It’s crucial that we identify when we need it. impact this new working environment has on’ workplace. And with that 24/7 mentality speed and complexity of changes we are others. “We need to start considering how commonalities across generations too.” on the way everyone works, and feels about comes an increasing need to consider seeing in our world mean our ability to learn, working at ARM could look and feel in 2020 • Role fluidity and agility that work, is the next piece in the puzzle. everyone’s work and personal wellbeing. unlearn and relearn will be the benchmark and beyond,” Sarah continues. “We started LOOKING AHEAD We’ll move more fluidly with a stronger As the world of work turns on its axis, Qualities such as ethics, work-life for success in the future,” says Zein Messina to see lots of anecdotal material about Informed by their research, Sarah and the ‘design your own job’ approach. This will we need to stay grounded by responding balance, flexibility, and even good old (senior leadership development partner). “In how other companies were attracting team created a picture of ARM’s future be founded in a deep understanding of to the needs of our people. “Ultimately, fashioned appreciation are being recognized the knowledge age, we need to build our more millennials. We were cynical – we’re working environment. In broad terms, it the unique capabilities individuals have it’s about building a culture of trust around as key metrics every bit as important as capabilities more broadly, utilizing our unique data-oriented people after all, so we started can be broken down into five predictions: beyond the job they do, knowing they’re delivery and outcomes”, Sarah concludes. remuneration when it comes to developing advantage over Artificial Intelligence (AI).” to delve a bit deeper.” part of the broader ARM talent pool. “It’s a gift exchange, if you like. Delivering the very best talent and creating an engaging The OE team's recent Future of Work After extensively researching existing • We’ll be global citizens of ARM We’ll have embraced the trend of gigging, exceptional outcomes justifies flexibility and compelling work experience. project explored how to create the right literature, trends began to emerge. There’s an We’ll be wherever we need to be to get while maintaining a core of full-time – and with freedom comes accountability.” For the Organizational Effectiveness environment and opportunity for everyone increase towards individualistic personalities, the job done collaboratively – virtually or employees. People will flow in and out of (OE) team, it’s understanding what to capitalize on that advantage to full effect, with millennials more likely to ‘gig’ and move otherwise. We’ll say things like: “I work ARM, expanding skills, experiences, and motivates and inspires talent that will lead exploring the many factors that have an around organizations, changing roles quicker for ARM”, rather than: “I work at ARM’s capabilities. We’ll have refined traditional

32 Issue 01 / April 2017 33 WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK Sarah James + Dragos Petrescu

“Our people care strongly about innovation Advanced analytics allowed us to take was involved in the survey – has tested OVER TO YOU WORK and want managers’ help with the often the project onto the next stage, mapping out the new approach to 180° feedback Talking about the changing out models that predicted how managerial with his team. “The process made me ask nature of the workplace competing interests of day-to-day delivery effectiveness related to engagement levels myself some important questions,” he sparks intelligent and and finding time for innovation.” WORK: in ARM. “Our research found that a explains. “I found that I rate myself lower lively debate. Here are Dragos Petrescu combination of 11 interrelated managerial than my reports do – some might say I’m a few of your thoughts behaviors predicts a moderate amount a perfectionist. And of the 11 manager for starters… of variance in employee engagement,” behaviors, I found that I rate feedback most _ says Dragos. “And the behaviors we highly – it highlights strengths, and keeps “I’d be REBOOTED On flexibility: found emphasize the unique ARM culture. people motivated.” keen to see more advocacy Our people care strongly about innovation “It’s a chance to evaluate myself against of this across ARM as it and want managers’ help in balancing the these manager behaviors and I shared these opens up such a wealth often competing interests of day-to-day results with my reports – which generated of opportunity to balance delivery and finding time for innovation.” some good discussions,” he says. “I hope personal/family life and In this unique ARM culture, development having these open discussions give my team bring new talent to ARM came out as important, too – managers confidence. Only with confidence can people wherever they may be who show a strong commitment to develop share with management the things that aren’t located.” Charlotte Eaton have more engaged people. going so well, rather than hide them. People (senior director, M&A, OE management is always a work in progress.” a n d S yste m s) MAKING IT WORK Although the project is still in pilot phase, Dragos and his team are now starting to Dragos is keen to see everyone capitalize on On management: “Products implement the findings from the Manager the opportunity. “We’d encourage people are created by teams, Effectiveness project, developing a to embrace a growth mindset if they’re to which require coordination new approach to 180° feedback, which develop themselves,” he concludes. “Not and shared information. will eventually roll out across ARM. only is it good for individuals, it’s good for Working flexibly cannot “It will allow all managers to receive ARM too – but we all need to be on board be everyone setting their feedback from their direct reports on if we’re going to make it work. Change can’t own hours and locations their performance on the 11 effective just come from the top down.” at a whim, and you need 02 behaviors identified from the research,” unexpected interactions he continues. “Managers also will start to create new ideas and receiving development tailored to areas To learn more about the survey and its options. It’s hard enough that matter most to them.” results, including the 11 behaviors of effective to lead a team that spans MANAGER Managers like Philippe Luc (principal managers, search for 'manager effectiveness' America, UK and Japan, engineer). Philippe – who like 70% of ARM on FindIt. but finding that 20% of the team is not working EFFECTIVENESS_ any given day of the WINNING WAYS OF WORKING week makes it harder again…” Jim Chaney With the future world of work seeing nurture and support the next generation spent a long time looking at what managers (director, engineering) 5 colleagues working from different of effective managers,” explains Dragos, do in order to not dismiss anything potentially locations, on flexible hours, managing their author of a report ARM commissioned important,” Dragos explains. Having looked On technology: “We should own personal development and flowing in on manager effectiveness. “How can we inside ARM, they broadened the search to be thinking about the and out of the organization, the inevitable futureproof their roles against a backdrop take in academic literature and innovative requirements of all question is: are managers even necessary of anti-hierarchical millennials, and their frameworks from other organizations and user groups so we don't 4 in this new autonomous working climate? demands for a more lateral, ethical and consultancies. “We ended up with a list of 151 end up with IT solutions More so than ever, says Dragos Petrescu collaborative working environment?” manager behaviors,” he continues. “Informed that work for managers (behavioral scientist, People Team). by a pilot study and workshops, we refined but not engineers.” Peter THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT this to a list of 32 management behaviors that Maydell (staff software Feedback. Communication. Connection. The Manager Effectiveness project’s aim was could make a difference at ARM.” These 32 engineer, Development Career development. A supportive steer. A threefold, Dragos explains: “We wanted to behaviors formed the basis of a survey shared 3 Solutions Group) sounding board for a new idea. Reassurance test whether managers’ behaviors have a across the business with a clear aim: to identify when you feel out on a limb. Despite the t a n g i b l e b e a r i n g o n t h e i r re p o r t s’ e n g a g e m e n t which combinations of behaviors were most Look for conversations technological and cultural advances that levels, find the managerial behaviors most likely to encourage better engagement of on the future of work on enable each of us to take more control linked to employee engagement, and managers’ direct reports. Yammer and share your over what we do and how we do it, there examine what other outcomes are predicted 2,819 people completed the survey 2 thoughts. are essential contributions that shape the by manager behavior.” and the results spoke volumes. Effective

effectiveness of a workplace, which only a With a data-driven approach to appeal management behaviors such as ‘showing Sustainable Engagement (low to high) > The association between manager effectiveness and well-trained manager can provide. to even the most technically-minded of genuine concern for the wellbeing of others’ engagement shows a clear linear relationship: the more So how do we ensure managers feel employees, Dragos and his team began by and ‘providing clear accountabilities for effective managers are, the more engaged their teams are​. motivated, encouraged and equipped to establishing what ARM’s managers actually people’s roles at ARM’, indicated not only 1 operate in this brave new world of work? do in their day-to-day roles – by asking ARM job satisfaction, but also company pride, with It’s a question ARM was eager to answer. people. “We made no assumptions about people recommending ARM as a great place 1 2 3 4 5 “We wanted to understand how we could what effective managers would look like and to work. A real win-win. Manager Effectiveness (low to high)

34 Issue 01 / April 2017 35 Security ARM + academia

Security is a hot topic at ARM right now – and “It’s very easy to paint the THE has been for many years, long before the US world into hardware people elections or news of the latest WikiLeaks CIA and software people... and hacking scandal broke. As new opportunities and avenues open up for computer science badly written code is clearly GAME to leap forward, so too do new doors for the software people doing a bad job. world’s hackers to access, harm and even But it isn’t that simple.” threaten what’s most important to us. The HAS responsible engineers among us are starting Richard Grisenthwaite to realize there has to be a different way of building that limits damage from the outset. As we push our machines to do more than ever “Every time you look at, say, the BBC CHANGED_ website, you’ll read about another hack on this Intelligence (AI), the consequences of such hacks before, the constant threat of hacking looms large. So how can we or a hack on that,” says Richard Grisenthwaite become even greater. But as Richard points out, (chief architect and fellow). “The reality is, coders can’t solely be held accountable. “It’s confidently embrace this new era of technology? We need to work together. software is so complicated; there are so many very easy to paint the world into hardware million lines of code they can’t possibly get people and software people, that badly written it perfectly right. It’s actually the job of the code is software people doing a bad job and architecture and the hardware people to make that hardware people have no role to play,” he it easier to write more robust software. That’s continues. “But it isn’t that simple. And it isn’t where we really have a role.” responsible of us as an organization to think like that.” MO’ TECHNOLOGY, MO’ PROBLEMS It’s true that the default for many is to think of Of course, the earliest coders didn’t even security as a software issue. But the researchers entertain these concerns. In 1843, Ada Lovelace at ARM are exploring another idea. wrote an algorithm that we now recognize as the first ever computer program, setting the wheels MISSION IMPOSSIBLE in motion for the evolution of mathematical “The entire stack from the hardware up needs to theory into the complex computer language that be designed with security in mind – and that hasn’t shapes our lives today. But it wasn’t until 140 been the norm in computing until now,” explains years later that we fully realized the implications Chris Doran (director, research collaborations of this uptake. In 1983, while studying at the and entrepreneur-in-residence), whose research University of Southern California’s School of work with academic partners is exploring the Engineering, scientist Fred Cohen wrote a cutting edge of computer security. “You can only program that could infect a computer, copy itself, achieve so much with software, but if the hardware and then spread to other machines through the is intrinsically hackable or breakable then there is use of a floppy disc. The code was harmless, but always the possibility it can be attacked. You have to it proved a point: that devices are open to the make the entire system secure from the ground up.” threat of malicious attack. ARM is putting this theory to the test, as This was the same year Motorola received part of a project called CHERI, which is taking approval for the first commercial mobile phone, place at the Univeristy of Cambridge's Computer the DynaTAC 8000X, released in 1984. Other Laboratory. Researchers are experimenting with innovations soon followed, from the first capability architecture, where each program smartphone, IBM Simon, in 1994, to the first has levels of access to data that can only ever iPhone in 2007. Things accelerated fast – and now decrease in privilege. If it’s architecturally almost all of us have a computer in our pocket impossible to increase the level of privilege a (95% of them powered by ARM applications). piece of code can see, then it’s impossible for a According to the Ericsson Mobility Report, the hacker to manipulate the code to gain access. total number of mobile subscriptions in 2016 The idea is quite similar to sandboxing; was 7.5 billion, with mobile data traffic growing a security mechanism for separating running 55% between 2015-2016. programs. “What’s interesting is that there are The rise in ownership of personal devices also some performance wins from this kind of has created tremendous opportunity – and architecture,” says Chris. “CHERI architecture can demand – for software developers. And with push sandboxing down to a very, very fine grain. so many lines of code being written, the margin Rather than making the device more secure and for human error has increased. It’s these slower, CHERI might actually increase performance weaknesses in code that hackers exploit to as well. That is the Holy Grail, to make the device gain access and, as we move towards Artificial more secure and faster at the same time.”

36 Issue 01 / April 2017 37 Security ARM + academia

“The last 15 years have been more about making incremental improvements than fundamental changes. But now there’s a lot more interest in alternative architectures… It’s a natural point for us to go back into academia and have much deeper conversations.”

Chris Doran

“It’s really exciting because it isn’t anything changes. But we’re sort of seeing the end of that anyone has done before. We’re taking some route to improvement now. At the moment reasonably blue sky research and going ‘can there’s a lot of interest in alternative architectures we make this real?’” Richard agrees. “It’s using like accelerators, tailor-made fixed-function our position in the industry to try and drive hardware for neural nets, more highly optimized something that is for good – making it harder for accelerators, and some interest in PGAs [Pin Grid the hackers to get at us.” Array]. A lot of these ideas have been around Another promising area of development for many years, but we haven’t been paying any that researchers are working on is a formal attention because it was clear what ARM needed verification process to prove that a piece of to do. But now that this roadmap has sort of come software does what it’s supposed to do – and to an end, it’s a natural point for us to go back into nothing else. This method has already been academia and have much deeper conversations applied to hardware, but you can push the with people about what ideas they have and what capability further up the stack to create devices we can do next.” that are provably secure. This commitment to academic research was truly showcased at ARM’s first academic ACCESS ALL AREAS conference – the ARM Research Summit – hosted For the Internet of Things (IoT) to reach the last year. More than 150 academics from leading target of a trillion connected devices, people universities around the world attended to share need to be comfortable with three areas: their ideas and take part in discussions. The security, privacy (of data), and trust. summit was such a success that ARM is planning To achieve this, ARM is working hard to enable a second conference this year, scaled up to 400 as much firmly grounded research as possible. people. The event is expected to be another pillar Through its connections and partnerships with in the ARM calendar alongside APM (the Annual universities, it’s opening up access to ARM Partners Meeting) and TechCon. hardware and intellectual property (IP), with “The point is, it’s not just about ARM,” exciting results. Richard concludes in his explanation of the UNDER ATTACK One such project that’s about to start is with business’s commitment to security and continued From social media to polling, the last year has seen some almighty data breaches, including: Professor Zoubin Ghahramani, a world-leading research work. “Our academic collaborations are expert on Gaussian processes and machine being done in such a way that if Intel wanted to do Federal Bureau of LinkedIn, MySpace, May DDoS attack, October US presidential elections, learning at the University of Cambridge Machine it as well, they would be able to. We’ve recognized Investigation (FBI) and 2016: Following the 6.5 2016: This distributed October–November 2016: Learning Group (Engineering Department), and that we can do so much on phones, but if people Department of Homeland million passwords that denial of service attack From Hillary Clinton’s recently appointed chief scientific officer at Uber. like Intel did it as well, that means it could also Security (DHS), February were posted on the dark late last year saw emails to voting machine This sort of collaboration isn’t easy to come by. be on servers and we could actually change the 2016: Early last year, web after a LinkedIn hackers overwhelm DNS security breaches It requires strong relationships between industry world’s software so that both architectures could hackers shared the breach in 2012, last company Dyn's servers leading to calls for leaders and academics, as well as a more flexible benefit from it.” records of nearly 30,000 May a hacker posted data with useless data and a recount, the American approach to IP rights – something ARM has been Because ultimately, there is no them and us. FBI and DHS workers, including information repeated load requests, elections have been set on establishing and maintaining in more recent No software vs. hardware, servers vs. phones, including personal on 167 million LinkedIn preventing useful data rife with accusations years. “Part of this is because it’s the right thing research vs. commerce. Whether it’s architecture, information such as accounts and 360 million from getting through, of hacking – the fallout to do,” explains Chris. “We also want to ensure hardware, or code, we have created this names, titles and emails and passwords which brought down much from which we are yet there is a generation of researchers who are used interconnected, hyper-intelligent technological contact details. for MySpace users. of the internet including to fully understand. to ARM technology, and we don’t want to be existence together and thanks to all of us, we’re sites like Twitter, innovated away or open-sourced away. on the brink of a new era. Netflix and The Guardian. “Plus, the industry is at a different point in its So now, more than ever, it’s vital that we cycle now. Arguably, we haven’t had to do that continue to work together, to rethink how we much primary research over the last 15 years, prepare devices for the next cycle of innovation, because there has been a ton of engineering and and to play our part in the ongoing battle to make ARM RESEARCH SUMMIT 2017 we’ve kind of known where we’ve been going,” the world a safer and more secure place. The 2017 summit will host 400 delegates at Robinson College, Cambridge, Chris continues. “It’s been more about making from September 11 to 13. For more information visit www.arm.com/summit incremental improvements than fundamental or watch highlights from 2016: tinyurl.com/arm-research

38 Issue 01 / April 2017 39 We asked ARM people the world over: “How has ARM evolved in your time here?”

Launch of a new architecture of Mali GPUs.

Øivind Boge Graduate Software Engineer, MPG Trondheim, Norway

“How would you like to see ARM evolve?”

As an organization that works profitably with a shared vision for the larger good of the world.

Vinod Krishnamoni Director, Applications Engineering, PEG Cambridge, UK