The Russian processor. Russian Processors

Developers from the Russian Federation began to create their own microprocessors, which are considered quite competitive with respect to the products of the world's leading brands. There are already as serial samples, preparing for industrial production, and planned developments. Which Russian processors - current or prospective - deserve special attention?

The main developers of Russian processors

The Russian IT industry is actively developing. Among its most technological segments is the development of microprocessors intended for use in a PC, and servers that are commonly referred to as IBM-architecture. Now in this market are dominated by two world brands - Intel and AMD. There are very few competitive developments in the world. But these can be proposed by Russian engineers.

Among the promising microcircuits from the Russian Federation, which can become competitors of Intel and AMD, the processor Baikal is considered to be. It is assumed that this chip will be installed on computers ordered by government agencies. The most probably well-known microprocessor vendor, who created working and preparing for serial production of chip samples, is the company MCTST. He produces chips under the Elbrus brand in a wide range of modifications.

Let us consider in more detail what features are characterized by promising and operating Russian-made processors.

Processor for the future: Baikal

In June 2014, the Russian media circled the news: the Ministry of Industry and Trade carried out an order for the development of microprocessors, which were later to be installed on PCs purchased for state needs. We are talking about chips under the brand "Baikal". What remarkable facts are characteristic for this chip? The Baikal Electronics company began developing the Baikal processor. The project is financed by the T-Nano Center, which was created by the T-Platform Corporation, with the participation of Rusnano. In the work on the processor, the United Instrument-Making Corporation is also engaged. It is known that such brands as Depo Computers, Aquarius, and Kraftway may participate in the project.

It is assumed that the processor "Baikal" will be created in several modifications. The first will be, according to some data, 8-core chips of Baikal M, as well as M / S for PCs and servers. They will be produced on the basis of 28 nm technology, as well as Cortex A57 cores, operating on the 64-bit principle. The performance of Baikal processors will be about 2 GHz. It is expected that the chips will be compatible with the Linux OS. Subsequently, 16-core chips will also be produced. They will be implemented using 16 nm technology. There is information that the Russian processor "Baikal" within the first parties will be produced by the Taiwanese company TSMC.

Elbrus brand: basic facts

Another microprocessor brand, known in Russia and abroad, is Elbrus. Chips under this brand have already been released in several varieties. There is a dual-core processor "Elbrus". There are chips with 4 or even 8 cores.

There is information that in the near future a PC based on these processors will be introduced to the market. Currently, based on the Elbrus chips, working models of computers of various modifications have been created - laptops, monoblocks, desktops, servers. The main customers of PCs, in which the Russian processor, developed by the company MTSTS, will be installed, are expected to be defense structures. There are also hopes for demand from large businesses. Elbrus chips can work under the main OS for IBM-architecture computers - Windows, Linux.

Let us consider in more detail how the Elbrus processors were created.

Elbrus processors: history

The first computer, from which the history of the brand begins, was created by Soviet scientists in the 70s. It became the computer complex "Elbrus-1". It was based on TTL-type chips and contained 10 processors in its structure with a total capacity of about 15 megaflops. To some extent, it was a unique machine: in particular, it implemented the principle of parallel execution of commands. According to some information, in the world of such computers was still developed then. The amount of RAM in the Elbrus-1 was 64 MB - more than decent.

For a unique Soviet computer began to develop its own operating system and separate programming languages. In 1985, the Elbrus-2 complex appeared, which was an improved model of the first machine. It featured an updated element base on ESL-type chips. The overall performance of the processors of the computer complex was more than 125 megaflops. In the architecture of this computer was implemented a modular principle. The Elbrus-2 complex was characterized by a high level of speed and stability of operation. It is known that it was used at various military sites. In total, the Soviet industry produced 30 Elbrus-2 complexes.

In 1990, a prototype computer "Elbrus-3" was manufactured. But at that time, due to the difficult political situation in the country, the project financing was terminated. Nevertheless, in 1992, the Moscow Center of SPARC Technologies LLP was formed, which was soon renamed the company MCTST. The company began to produce industrial systems, which were based on the then popular technology SPARC, created by Sun Microsystems.

Solutions based on SPARC

Working with solutions based on SPARC, the company MCST developed its own product in the form of a microprocessor. In earlier versions, its architecture was known as E2k. The first model of the processor based on it, called R150, was released in 2001. The technological process assumed the use of 350 nm technology. The Russian processor worked at a frequency of 150 MHz with a performance of about 150 megaflops.

In 2004, appeared much more powerful chip - R500. Its clock frequency was 500 MHz. It was produced within the limits of higher technological standards - 130 nm. In 2007, the company MCTS released a dual-core processor R500S, which includes developments in the field of technology SPARC. Its performance was 1 gigaflops.

Simultaneously with the development of microcircuits based on SPARC, the company MCTS was engaged in the creation of a processor entirely based on the own developments of its engineers. So, by 2007 the Russian processor Elbrus was created and passed state tests. It was manufactured in accordance with the standard of 130 nm and operated at a frequency of 300 MHz. The processor was equipped with one core and operated at a speed of 4.8 gigaflops. The given chip, and also operating time on it, have laid the beginning to the whole family of the microcircuits which have grown in technological, high-efficiency decisions. Consider them.

Elbrus-S

The first serial chip from the MTSTS is the Elbrus-S processor, which appeared in 2010. It was produced in accordance with the standard of 90 nm. This chip could work at a frequency of 500 MHz and provide a performance of about 8 gigaflops.

It can be noted that a similar performance could then be shown by the AMD Athlon 64 chip, operating at 2.2 GHz.

Elbrus-2S +

In 2011, the following modification of the processor appeared: the Elbrus-2C + chip. It was also manufactured in accordance with the architecture of 90 nm, but its performance was much higher - 28 gigaflops. It can be noted that similar chips could reach such chips as Intel Core 2 Duo, and also Intel Core i3. There is information that developers managed to achieve similar progress due to the fact that the processor 4 cores of an additional chip are being escorted. This component performs digital signal processing. However, the built-in processor of the corresponding type, as calculated by the engineers of the MCST, was characterized by too high resource intensity in the process of release. Therefore, in the following Elbrus models it was replaced by alternative solutions.

Elbrus-4S

In 2014, the serial production of the next microprocessor masterpiece, Elbrus-4S, began. This chip is manufactured using 65 nm technology. Its core (there are 4 of them, respectively) operate at 800 MHz. Each of them is equipped with 2 MB cache. This allowed to achieve a processor performance of 50 gigaflops. This is almost the same as, for example, the Intel Core i7-975 chip has 53 gigaflops. At the same time, the power of the Russian chip is 45W. In this aspect, the power supply of the Elbrus-4S processor, as many experts believe, is more economical than the American development.

The chip with 4 cores from MTSTS is one of the most versatile. Types of computers in which this processor can be installed - PCs, laptops, servers, monoblocks. Actually, in the line of computer complexes, which also produces the company MCTS, there are machines in all the marked configurations.

Elbrus-8S

The newest processor from MTSTS - having 8 cores "Elbrus-8S". The chip operates on the basis of the standard 28 nm, which closely brings it closer to the world's leading samples of microprocessors. Cache memory of the second level on the cores of the microcircuit "Elbrus-8S" - 4 MB, the third - 16 MB. The processor can work with a common standard of RAM type DDR3 1600. The performance of the chip, measured in single-precision calculations, is 250 gigaflops. The processor has 4 memory controllers. The bandwidth indicator for interprocessor communication channels is 16 GB / s. The marked performance of the chip is 250 gigaflops. How does it correlate with the performance of the world's analogues of the Russian processor? It can be noted that the chip Intel Core i7 4930K produces about 130-140 gigaflops. Especially for the newest Elbrus processors, new motherboards are being created, as well as a separate version of the OS. Also, possibly, multiprocessor computers based on the chip will be developed.

There is information that by 2018 the company MCTS will release processors of the Elbrus-16C type. Their design capacity is 1 teraflops. It is also expected that the technological process of chips will be based on standards less than 28 nm.

Prospects for chips

How do experts evaluate the Russian-made processors? The responses of so many IT professionals, you can say, are enthusiastic.

There are several reasons for this. For example, many developers are proud of the fact that the processor was created exactly in Russia, and in conditions where for a long time the economic situation did not contribute to the active development of the IT industry in such a high-tech and science-intensive segment. In terms of the performance of the processors, estimates are also generally positive.

There are some comments from specialists who are concerned with the marketing prospects of chips. To make them profitable, we need large markets, which are occupied by world leaders. Competition with them, experts believe, will not be easy.

At the same time, according to some analysts, Elbrus processors may well become a worthy alternative to solutions from Intel and AMD inside the Russian Federation, especially in the field of military supplies, in which developers are subject to the most stringent requirements in terms of reliability of electronic components and the safety of their use. The company MCTST, experts believe, is fully capable of ensuring the compliance of the processors it produces to these requirements.

OS "Elbrus"

It is worth noting that a separate operating system was created specifically for the computer systems from the MTCT operating on the Elbrus processor. It was based on the Linux kernel in version 2.6.33, however, it underwent deep fundamental processing. As a result, the Elbrus OS appeared, characterized by the highest level of safety and stability in operation. In the creation of the Russian operating system , active participation was made by the specialists of INEUM im. IS Brook.