ARM Cortex-M0+

The industry's most energy-efficient 32-bit processor designed for ultra-low-power MCU and IoT applications.

This core utilizes a streamlined 2-stage pipeline to achieve a performance profile of 1.12 DMIPS/MHz while maintaining a tiny silicon footprint (under 12,000 gates). It runs the ARMv6-M architecture (Thumb instruction set) and powers popular silicon like the Raspberry Pi RP2040 and Microchip SAM D21. Features like single-cycle I/O access and a dedicated Memory Protection Unit (MPU) ensure high-speed peripheral control and robust system reliability. It serves as the definitive upgrade path for 8-bit or 16-bit designs requiring 32-bit compute power at a sub-microwatt energy budget.

https://www.arm.com/products/silicon-ip-cpu/cortex-m/cortex-m0-plus