DynamIQ

DynamIQ is ARM's technology for scalable heterogeneous multi-core processing, introduced in 2017 as a successor to the big.LITTLE architecture. It enables a single system-on-chip to house multiple CPU clusters, each containing several Cortex-A cores, with a coherent interconnect and shared caching to improve performance and energy efficiency across a range of workloads.

Key features include flexible clustering, where clusters may contain different core types and quantities, a scalable interconnect that maintains cache coherency across all cores, per-cluster power domains, and a global task scheduling mechanism that can move workloads between clusters to balance performance and power. Cores within a cluster typically share a private L2 cache, while a shared or scalable last-level cache and inter-cluster fabric provide further data sharing and coherence.

DynamIQ was commercialized with Cortex-A75 and Cortex-A55 cores, and has been used in several mobile and embedded SoCs from various vendors. It aims to reduce the complexity of managing heterogeneous CPUs by providing a unified scheduling and power-management model across clusters, enabling finer-grained control of performance, frequency, and voltage.

From a broader perspective, DynamIQ represents ARM's push toward more scalable, flexible multi-core designs for consumer devices, data centers, and edge equipment, allowing designers to tailor the mix of high-performance and power-efficient cores within a single chip while maintaining coherency and programmable scheduling across the whole platform.