Imagination META

The META is a 32-bit multithreaded microprocessor developed by Metagence Technologies Division from Imagination Technologies.{{cite web|author=Henry Davis|url=http://eetimes.com/design/audio-design/4015736/Inside-the-Imagination-Technologies-Meta-processor-Part-1|title=Inside the Imagination Technologies Meta processor|publisher=EETimes|date=2006-03-20}} First version of META were developed in 2001 as META-1 multithreaded DSP core aimed for audio, radio and video processing.{{cite web|url=http://www.imgtec.com/corporate/newsdetail.asp?NewsID=48|publisher=Imagination Technologies |title=Imagination Technologies Announces New Revolutionary DSP Cores and Metagence Technologies Division|date=2001-05-08}} META HTP core family was announced in 2007 and is based on META-2 architecture.{{cite web|url=http://www.design-reuse.com/news/17039/imagination-meta-htp-multi-threaded-processor-ip-core.html|title=Imagination Technologies META HTP Multi-Threaded Processor IP Core|publisher=Design and Reuse|date=2007-10-31}}{{cite web|url=http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800487698_1800001_NP_1cf3c36a.HTM|title=Meta HTP extends support for different operating systems|author=Peter Clarke|publisher=EE Times Europe|date=2007-11-07}} META is designed to support between one and four independent hardware threads, which typically operate concurrently on separate tasks. Despite the shared processing resources, each execution unit maintains a local register state, an execution pipeline, and a program counter (PC) for each thread to accommodate multiple thread contexts.{{cite web |url=https://www.chipestimate.com/tech-talks/2011/02/15/Imagination-Technologies-META-TM-Multi-threaded-Architecture-Overview |title=META (TM) Multi-threaded Architecture Overview |accessdate=2023-12-14}}

META family consists of Meta HTP applications processors (400–700 MHz on 65L{{snd}} 65G process), META MTP Embedded Processors and Meta LTP Embedded Microcontrollers.Product Description on Imagination Technologies website

It is supported by the Linux kernel as of version 3.9.[https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=8fd5e7a2d9574b3cac1c9264ad1aed3b613ed6fe Pull new ImgTec Meta architecture from James Hogan]{{cite web|url=http://kernelnewbies.org/Linux_3.9#head-20695544668173ceb7d57ca455c1e1d546a8dbe9 |title=Linux 3.9 has been released|publisher=Kernel Newbies|quote= "1.5. New architecture: Meta Imagination processors"}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/01/linux_kernel_3_9/|title=Linux kernel 3.9 lands. Power management, new processors, SSD caching and more|publisher=The Register|author= Richard Chirgwin|quote="The new kernel is now ported to .. Imagination Meta ATP and HTP processor cores – an embedded Linux play .. the Imagination devices turn in in digital radios."|date=2013-05-01}}

In 2018 March, LWN.net reported that Imagination Technologies redirected its focus away from Meta after its purchase of MIPS Technologies in 2012. This has led to a proposal on Linux development mailing lists to remove support for the architecture from the kernel which became effective with the release of Linux 4.17 in June 2018.{{cite web|url=https://lwn.net/Articles/748074/|title=Shedding old architectures and compilers in the kernel|publisher=LWN.net|author=Jonathan Corbet|date=2018-02-26|accessdate=2018-03-11}}{{cite web|url=https://lkml.org/lkml/2018/6/3/142|title=Linux 4.17 Release Notes|publisher=lkml.org|author=Linus Torvalds|date=2018-06-03|accessdate=2018-06-18}}