Foreword: Special section on hardware and software technologies on advanced microprocessors

For digital systems in today’s digital-convergence era, various functions such as communication, security, audio, video, and recognition must be implemented by a microprocessor. Functional diversification will keep increasing, and demands for the improvement of the microprocessor’s performance will thus continue. Microprocessors must meet these requirements while considering cost, power consumption, reliability, and so on. Facing these challenges, new hardware and software technologies are indispensable.