Hi, I have browsed extensively and could not find any answer, so Ill kindly ask it here. I have a designed tablet and want to use tegra k1 soc in it. I have found all necessary datasheets and created pcb layout and footprint already but the problem is I would like to use the 64 bit version of the soc rather than the 32 bit version. I understand from the datasheets that its offered in 2 pin to pin compatible versions, 32 bit and 64 bit. I have searched all of nvidia partners including arrow.com and verico, and found the part numbers cd575m-a1 and cd575mi-a1 and both are available for purchase however, both of these part numbers appear to be the 32 bit soc. Can you please kindly advise how or where I can purchase or find the 64 bit soc? Also what is the exact part number for 64 bit soc? I would like to be able to purchase these in high quantities if available.
Look forward to your kind reply.
I’ve heard of 64-bit Tegra, but not 64-bit TK1. Anything Cortex-A15 is 32-bit only, and ARMv7-a. The next generation is ARMv8-a (Cortex-A 64-bit), but no TK1 ever had this (no Tegra in general, prior to this, had ARMv8-a…ARMv8-a was still new when the TX1 came out). So far as I could see on internet searches, the cd575m-a1 and cd575mi-a1 are both Cortex-A15. There were some tablets which came out with dual core A15, and other hardware included a quad core A15.
I have only heard about Dual Denver 64 bits armv8 version of TK1 to be used in Nexus9, but the TRM has never made been public AFAIK.
On software side, I think that JetPack has never provided support for this chip, so you may have to use Android rather than Linux.
Hi thank you for your kind replies. Yes there is a 64 bit version, as quoted from tegra k1 datasheet " Tegra K1 is
offered in two pin-to-pin compatible versions. The first version uses a 32-bit quad-core, 4-PLUS-1 ARM
Cortex A15 CPU. The second version uses a custom, NVIDIA-designed 64-bit dual Super Core CPU. This
CPU (codenamed “Denver”) delivers very high single-thread and multi-thread performance. It is based
on the ARMv8 architecture, which brings the energy-efficient heritage of ARM processor technology to
64-bit computing."
Since they are pin to pin compatible, I’d prefer to use the 64 bit denver ARMv8. Which as Honey_Patouceul mentioned above was used in the nexus 9. So from my understanding this 64 bit version is not available at all for purchasing am I correct?
Ahh, Denver is more or less programmable, but I have never found any information on how flexible it might be in terms of use as different architectures. But there it is, it isn’t a Cortex-A15. It would probably be programmed to become a Cortex-A53. Don’t know about purchasing, but my suspicion is that it isn’t available to anyone who isn’t purchasing millions of them.
That would indeed be interesting to work with. On the other hand I would have to suspect software which works with it might be missing.
Again, pin-to-pin compatibility means electrically and pin map compatible, however swapping both versions of the chip would not work.
The software being for a different architecture would have to be different. Not sure you can get the linux drivers for the 64 bits versions. So for the 32 bits version you may use Linux4tegra, for the 64 bits versions you would use Android. These are very different.
I cannot say for availability, you would have to discuss this with NVIDIA sales reps. If you have really big volumes, you may try to negociate.
If you have low or mid volumes and you really want to use the 64 bits versions with Android and the tablet is just a part of your final product, you may try to find if you can buy some stock of unsold Nexus9 tablets, it may be less expensive.