Computer chip manufacturer AMD has announced plans to expand its business into new markets by providing new embedded chips for devices away from its traditional PC base.
The decision, which will see AMD produce microprocessors and systems-on-a-chip (SoC) for products ranging from factory robot machinery to slot machines, comes as revenue from its core PC business is shrinking.
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Across the market, desktop and laptop sales are declining due in part to the rise in popularity of tablet computers and smartphones - especially in the consumer sector where AMD has traditionally enjoyed a strong presence.
The company expects its new line of embedded SoCs, all named after birds of prey, to account for one-fifth of revenues by the end of this year.
"AMD is committed to providing the embedded community with the solutions required to succeed in today's transformative market as it continues to expand at an unprecedented rate," said Arun Iyengar, vice president and general manager of AMD Embedded Solutions.
"There are different customer needs in different segments of this market - from low-power to high-performance, Linux to Windows, x86 to ARM. Now, with our upcoming product portfolio, we are addressing them by providing embedded design engineers with a range of solutions backed by our embedded longevity programme for supply stability assurance to fit their every need," he added.
AMD will, however, see its microprocessors shipped in millions of popular new products this year, with both the Microsoft Xbox One and Sony PlayStation 4 next-generation games consoles based on specially designed eight-core Jaguar microprocessors designed by AMD. Both consoles are scheduled for release before the end of the year.
However, while that product is based on x86, much of AMD's plans in embedded will be based on ARM-licensed designs.
"AMD has quickly embraced the need to deliver the right SoC for the right task in one of the industry's most comprehensive product portfolios for the embedded community," said Tom Cronk, executive vice president and general manager for ARM's Processor Division.
"The addition of devices based on the 64-bit ARM Cortex-A57 processor to their embedded roadmap gives designers of high-performance embedded systems a solution that delivers incredible savings in terms of both energy and system cost," he added.
