3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processor Family Delivers Cutting-Edge Performance to the PXI Platform

1. Introduction
2. Intel 22 nm Process Technology Combines Performance Gains and Power Savings
3. 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processors Provide Improved Processing Capabilities
4. Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0—Performance On-Demand for All Application Types
5. Advanced Peripheral I/O With Native SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Ports
6. Create Larger and More Complex Data Streaming Applications With PCI Express* 2.0
7. Improve System Serviceability With Native Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT) and NI Recovery and Diagnostic Tools
8. Conclusion

Introduction

With the release of Intel® processors in 2008, the 45 nm process technology added many features to the Intel® Core™ processor family.  As process technology evolves, National Instruments is taking advantage of the latest 22nm 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processors to deliver performance improvements and new features to PXI, which many test and measurement applications require.

The 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processor family, code-named “Ivy Bridge”, is based on the world’s first 22 nm process technology and offers many key features such as Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 and SuperSpeed USB 3.0. The combination of Intel’s cutting-edge 3D Tri-Gate transistor technology and architectural enhancements provides significant processing performance, compared with Intel’s previous generation of chips, and delivers many new benefits to PXI applications. This white paper, co-written by National Instruments and Intel Corporation, explores the features of the 3rd generation Intel® Core™ processors and their impact on test, measurement, and control applications.  
  

Intel 22 nm Process Technology Combines Performance Gains and Power Savings

Transistors continue to get smaller, cheaper, and more energy efficient in accordance with Moore’s law. Because of this, Intel has been able to innovate and integrate to add more features and computing cores to each chip, increase performance, and decrease manufacturing cost per transistor. The 3rd generation Intel Core processor is the latest generation of the Intel Core processor series. It is built on Intel’s 22nm process technology and revolutionary 3D Tri-Gate transistor technology to provide substantial decreases in power consumption and die size.

Figure 1. Intel continues to deliver innovation with its latest release, the 3rd generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor built on 22 nm process technology which offers superior performance.

Sustaining the progress of Moore’s law is even more challenging with the 22 nm-based generation. Anticipating this, Intel research scientists in 2002 invented the Tri-Gate transistor, named for the three sides of the gate. The 3D Tri-Gate transistors are a reinvention of the transistor. Intel researchers replaced the traditional “flat” 2D planar gate with a thin 3D silicon fin that rises up vertically from the silicon substrate. Current is controlled by implementing a gate on each of the three sides of the fin—two on each side and one across the top—rather than just one on top, as is the case with the 2D planar transistor. The additional control enables the maximum amount of transistor current flow as possible when the transistor is in the “on” state (for performance) and the minimum amount as possible when it is in the “off” state (to minimize power). It also enables the transistor to switch quickly between the two states (again, for performance).

Figure 2. The transition to 3D Tri-Gate transistors sustains the pace of technology advancement, fueling Moore's law for years to come.

Figure 2 compares a 32 nm transistor to a 22 nm transistor. In the 32 nm planar transistor on the left, the current represented by the yellow dots flows in a plane underneath the gate. In the 22 nm 3D Tri-Gate transistor on the right, the current flows on three sides of a vertical fin. Intel's 3D Tri-Gate transistors enable chips to operate at lower voltages with lower leakage, providing an unprecedented combination of improved performance and energy efficiency compared to previous state-of-the-art transistors.

According to Intel Senior Fellow Mark Bohr, “The performance gains and power savings of Intel’s unique 3D Tri-Gate transistors are like nothing we’ve seen before. This milestone is going further than simply keeping up with Moore’s law. The low-voltage and low-power benefits far exceed what we typically see from one process generation to the next.”

National Instruments takes advantage of Intel’s innovations in transistor technology with the latest NI PXIe-8135 PXI Express embedded controller featuring the Intel® Core™ i7-3610QE processor. When compared with the previous-generation NI PXIe-8133 controller featuring 80 W of power, the NI PXIe-8135 featuring 63 W of power shows approximately 21 percent decrease in typical power. By incorporating the latest evolutions of Intel® technology, National Instruments can introduce higher performance embedded controllers with the same or lower power consumption in the same size and form factor. This results in improved performance and ease of migration from one generation of embedded controller to the next for PXI applications.
 

3^rd Generation Intel® Core™ Processors Provide Improved Processing Capabilities

The latest platform from Intel is designed for a two-chip platform consisting of a processor and the Platform Controller Hub (PCH). The 3rd generation Intel Core i7 processor features an integrated four-core CPU, graphical processing unit (GPU), and memory controller on a single die for increased performance and efficiency.

The Intel Core i7 processor design is based on the Intel® Core™ microarchitecture (code named “Sandy Bridge”) and adds support to the up to 8 MB combined last level cache (LLC) for decreased latency gaps between the memory controller and processor.

Figure 3. Latest Intel microarchitecture with shared cache delivers more performance and energy efficiency.

The integrated memory controller (IMC) greatly increases performance when storing or accessing data due to low latency and multiple data paths. The IMC can support two dual inline memory modules (DIMMs) of unbuffered DDR3 memory. The 3rd generation Intel Core processor added support for the DDR3 1600 MHz memory speeds, which increased memory performance. Compared to the previous-generation embedded controller using the 2nd generation Intel Core processor, memory capabilities have grown from DDR3 1333 MHz to 1600 MHz. A system with two channels of DDR3 1600 MHz RAM has a theoretical memory bandwidth of 37.0 GB/s compared to a system using two channels of DDR3 1333 MHz RAM having a theoretical memory bandwidth of 21.3 GB/s. This results in an up to 74 percent theoretical memory bandwidth increase.

The NI PXIe-8135 combines the Intel Core i7 processor-based architecture with the PXI platform to improve test and measurement applications. It features a quad-core Intel Core i7-3610QE processor with the standard 4 GB of DDR3 1600 MHz of memory. For memory-intensive applications, National Instruments offers up to 16 GB of DDR3 1600 MHz memory that can be combined with a Windows 7 64-bit OS to ensure full access to all memory capacity. By incorporating the latest processor improvements, data analysis applications can benefit from an up to 97 percent performance improvement compared to the previous-generation embedded controller.

Figure 4. With up to 97 percent better performance than previous-generation controllers, the NI PXIe-8135 embedded controller is ideal for applications requiring intensive data analysis or processing.

Due to the modularity of PXI, engineers can easily take advantage of the 3rd generation Intel Core i7 processor improvement in the NI PXIe-8135 for their test and measurement applications by upgrading only the embedded controller in their existing PXI systems. A prime example of this type of performance gain is in an RF application that performs WCDMA tests. When comparing the results to the previous-generation embedded controller, the NI PXIe-8133, testing the WCDMA standard showed performance improvements up to 39 percent.

Note: LabVIEW version is 2010 SP1. Driver versions used are NI-RFSA 2.4, NI-RFSG 1.7, IVI compliance package 4.2, MAX 4.7.6, MT 4.2.1, and Spectral Measurements Toolkit 2.4.

Table 1. An analysis of WCDMA benchmarking shows an up to 39 percent improvement over the previous-generation embedded controller.

While these benchmarks show improvements of only several milliseconds, the development time associated with performance improvements like this can add up to many engineering man-hours without guaranteed success. As a replacement for the NI PXIe-8133, the NI PXIe-8135 can improve RF application performance with minimal to no additional development time or effort.
  

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0—Performance On-Demand for All Application Types

The 3rd generation Intel Core processor features Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, which offers even more ways to use the power efficiencies introduced with having an integrated die for processor and graphics. With Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, engineers can automatically run the processor cores and graphics faster than the base operating frequency if the processor is operating under the power, temperature, and current specification limits of thermal design power (TDP). TDP is the maximum sustained power that should be used to design the processor thermal solution. Under typical operating conditions, not all processor cores are active or they do not execute high-power workloads, so most applications are consuming less than the TDP at the rated frequency. Intel Turbo Boost Technology takes advantage of the available TDP headroom to allow active cores to dynamically increase their operating frequencies.

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 1.0 increased the CPU frequency without exceeding TDP and managed the workload of each of the cores. Now with the evolution of this technology, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 achieves these performance increases by exceeding TDP for short durations of time. This is accomplished through multiple algorithms operating in parallel to manage the estimated current, estimated power, and package temperature. At the core of these algorithms, the short and long duration turbo power limits along with the turbo time constant are responsible for ensuring that TDP is never exceeded over a thermally significant period of time. Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 also takes into account the energy state at the start of workload, workload duration and characteristics, and temperature, which all affect the amount of time the system remains in a turbo state.

Figure 5. Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 offers processing performance gains for all applications regardless of the number of execution threads created.

Before the availability of Intel Turbo Boost Technology, to fully exercise the four physical cores on a quad-core processor, applications had to create four independent execution threads by implementing programming strategies such as task parallelism, data parallelism, and pipelining. However, with the introduction of Intel Turbo Boost Technology, all types of applications receive performance benefits without being optimized for multicore processors. For example, in the case of the NI PXIe-8135, when running applications that generate only a single processing thread, the CPU places the three unused cores into an idle state and increases the active core’s clock frequency from 2.3 GHz to 3.3 GHz. For applications that are processing two threads, the CPU places the two unused cores into an idle state and increases the active core’s clock frequency from 2.3 GHz to 3.2 GHz. For applications using four threads, the CPU increases from 2.3 GHz to 3.1 GHz. Intel Turbo Boost Technology provides performance increases for all types of applications and can significantly reduce test times for processor-intensive applications.

Figure 6. The NI PXIe-8135 can process 389,000 1K FFTs per second, which is up to 85 percent faster than the NI PXIe-8133 embedded controller.

As Intel technology evolves, the general CPU performance will increase from one generation to the next but in smaller increments. Figure 6 shows that with Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 disabled, migrating from the NI PXIe-8133 to the NI PXIe-8135 still provides an up to 36 percent better performance. However, with Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 enabled, the NI PXIe-8135 provides an up to 85 percent better performance, which showcases how much this Intel technology can improve an application. Test and measurement applications using PXI instrumentation can take advantage of the latest Intel technology to decrease test times while minimizing power consumption. Many applications are developed as single-threaded applications, so they see performance increases and can be modified to a multicore design to receive even more performance boosts.

For real-time applications, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 can be used, but to ensure the best possible execution determinism, thorough testing should be done. When using the NI PXIe-8135 embedded controller, engineers can disable Intel Turbo Boost Technology through the BIOS for applications when they prefer not to use it. 
  

Advanced Peripheral I/O With Native SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Ports

USB, one of the most successful communication buses in the history of personal computing, has migrated into consumer electronics (CE) and mobile products. It allows easy, high-speed connections of peripherals to PCs that, once plugged in, configure automatically. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 on the 3rd generation Intel Core processors provides the user with power management and high transfer rates while maintaining backward compatibility with Hi-Speed USB 2.0. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 offers the highest USB performance—up to 10 times faster than Hi-Speed USB 2.0—with a design data rate of 5 Gbit/s compared to 480 Mbit/s on USB 2.0. In addition, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 dramatically reduces the power necessary to transfer large amounts of data.

Figure 7. Take advantage of the improved bus throughput of USB 3.0 while maintaining backward compatibility with current system configurations.

With the growing availability of USB 3.0 devices, applications using the NI PXIe-8135 directly see the benefits of USB 3.0 in data storage and streaming applications. Applications can take advantage of the 5 Gbit/s streaming rate or 10 times improvement from USB 2.0 without increasing overall power consumption and while adhering to the NI PXI Express embedded controller form factor. Due to the backward compatibility, existing applications can continue to use USB 2.0 devices with the option to migrate to USB 3.0 devices in the future.
   

Create Larger and More Complex Data Streaming Applications With PCI Express* 2.0

As quickly as PCI Express* standards have evolved, processor architectures have continued to meet the demands of emerging applications. For example, before PCI Express 2.0, added bandwidth was needed to improve the performance of data-intensive workloads and advanced processing applications. New emerging I/O developments such as increased speeds and feeds of network and storage applications also could directly benefit from increased bandwidth.

To meet new bandwidth requirements, PCI-SIG announced the PCI Express 2.0 specification in January 2007. PCI Express 2.0 doubles the transmission speed of PCI Express 1.1 to 5.0 GT/s. It also doubles the data throughput provided by PCI Express 1.0 while maintaining full backward compatibility.

The NI PXIe-8135 takes advantage of the evolution of PCI Express with four PCI Express x4 Gen 2.0 slots from the embedded controller to the backplane of the chassis that feature a maximum system throughput of 8 GB/s and 2 GB/s of dedicated slot bandwidth. This embedded controller has been optimized for high-throughput applications with standard 4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz memory. For applications that require maximum data streaming capabilities, engineers can pair the four x4 PCI Express Gen 2.0 slots with the options to upgrade the memory to 16 GB DDR3 1600 MHz and high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs).

Figure 8. By pairing the NI PXIe-8135 with a PXI Express chassis, such as the NI PXIe-1085, engineers can simultaneously stream a larger set of I/O channels to the controller’s system RAM to create larger and more complex data record and playback applications.

Based on the industry’s processor technology and application roadmaps, doubling bandwidth continues to be important. Intel and other companies within the PCI Express ecosystem have expressed interest in increasing interconnect bandwidth and are exploring ways to do this in the most cost- and power-efficient manner.
  

Improve System Serviceability With Native Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT) and NI Recovery and Diagnostic Tools

Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT) is a set of advanced manageability features developed to meet the evolving demands placed on IT to manage a network infrastructure. Intel AMT has greatly evolved over the generations, adding features such as remote Intel Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM). Intel AMT 8.0, featured on the 3rd generation Intel Core processors, uses a DASH 1.1 KVM redirection interface, which meets the DASH 1.1 specification for KVM. DASH 1.1 offers KVM and text console redirection, BIOS management, OS status, and firmware and software updates.

Figure 9. Test, measurement, and control applications can use Intel® AMT to perform remote data collection and monitor application status.

Although National Instruments customers traditionally are not IT managers, Intel AMT also has many advantages for automated test and control applications. Using Intel AMT, engineers can access remote system control, system and application diagnostics, and system updates. When using the NI PXIe-8135 featuring the Intel Core i7-3610QE processor and the Mobile Intel® QM77 Express chipset, the system enables Intel AMT by default. If the OS is hung, engineers can use Intel AMT alongside the NI hard-drive-based recovery image. In addition, they can take advantage of National Instruments in-ROM diagnostics to improve the serviceability of a PXI system. The analysis of these diagnostics can determine if a hard drive or memory replacement is required. This allows much faster system failure diagnosis as well as provides insight into predicting failures, thus reducing costly downtime.

Similar to a remote front panel or “remote desktop connection,” remote system control provides basic functionality for remotely viewing the system as well as updating controls. As important National Instruments driver updates and patches are released, installations can be completed without direct connection to the PXI Express embedded controller. By combining Intel AMT with National Instruments technology, the NI PXIe-8135 features improved serviceability to minimize system downtime.   
  

Conclusion

The 3rd generation Intel Core processor delivers faster processing, lower power consumption, advanced peripheral support, and increased system reliability with innovations such as 22 nm process technology, Intel 3D Tri-Gate transistor technology, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, and native USB 3.0.

NI takes advantage of these innovations in the NI PXIe-8135, which features the high-performance Intel Core i7-3610QE processor. With the 2.3 GHz base frequency, 3.3 GHz (single-core Turbo Boost mode) quad-core processor, and four PCI Express x4 Gen 2 lanes, this controller is optimized for processor-intensive and complex data record and playback applications. To take advantage of the latest peripherals, existing applications can use the four USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.0 ports and can migrate to USB 3.0 devices moving forward. To minimize application downtime, Intel AMT combined with National Instruments diagnostic and recovery tools can improve PXI system serviceability.

Looking forward, National Instruments and Intel Corporation will continue to work together to deliver Intel’s cutting-edge processor technology for the PXI platform, so engineers can meet their specific application needs using PXI.

Learn more about the NI PXIe-8135 embedded controller featuring the Intel Core i7-3610QE processors. 

–Tracy Kennedy

Tracy Kennedy is a hardware platform applications engineer for Intel Corporation’s Personal Solutions Division. He holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

–Sarah Schlonsky

Sarah Schlonsky is a product marketing manager for PXI embedded controller products at National Instruments. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor.

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