IFEL ARM3 processor upgrade for Acorn Archimedes

The IFEL ARM3 processor upgrade replaces the socketed ARM2 CPU in the Archimedes range of computers which ran at 8MHz. A daughterboard mounted into the Archimedes' ARM2 socket sporting an ARM3 CPU running at 25MHz provides a near threefold increase in MIPS throughput. The increase in performance is achieved by use of an on board 4KB cache and the ARM3's ability to run at faster clock speeds.

Both the ARM2 and ARM3 chips actually run at similar rates when compared at the same clock speed processing in the region of 0.5 to 0.6 MIPS for every one 1MHz that the clock produces.

The IFEL ARM3 25Mhz processor daughterboard

I have two of these ARM3 upgrades and they are fitted to my Archimedes A310 and Archimedes A410/1. I documented the entire fitting process for the IFEL ARM3 daughterboard to my Archimedes A410/1 which you can read about on the ARM3 upgrade page.

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IFEL ARM3 Resources