Comparing the Two Different Generations of AMBA Based Protocols: AHB vs AXI

Medha Chhillar, Geeta Yadav, Neeraj Kr. Shukla

Abstract: ARM Ltd formed in 1990 as an Intellectual Property company that designs microprocessor technology. These microprocessors form the heart of digital products that vary from mobile phones and digital cameras to automotive systems. AMBA (Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture) was introduced by ARM in 1996 as registered trademark and is an open-standard. Here; we talk about different types of AMBA buses and how they have evolved; thereby comparing two of its main protocols viz. AHB and AXI. Comparisons using various distinguishing parameters have been made and wherever required; explained using proper diagrams and tables. A few of the parameters include level of complexities between the AHB and AXI; flexibility; number of channels present; pipelining; etc.

Keywords: AHB Advanced High-performance Bus, AXI Advanced eXtensible Interface, VIP Verification Intellectual Property, pipelining, UVM Universal Verification Methodology, SoC System-on-Chip