The Secret Apple M1 Coprocessor

Developer Dougall Johnson has through reverse engineering, uncovered a secret powerful coprocessor dubbed AMX: Apple Matrix coprocessor inside the M1 chip.

Stories about the Apple Matrix coprocessor (AMX) are already out there. But not exactly discussed in a beginner friendly manner. And that is what I try to do here. Bring you the story buried under thick layers of technical jargon without treating you like an idiot.

To tell this story we need to clarify the basics such as what is a coprocessor? What is a matrix? And why should you even care about any of this?

More importantly why do none of the Apple slides talk about this coprocessor? Why is it seemingly a secret? If you have read about the Neural Engine inside the M1 System-on-a-Chip (SoC) you may be confused about what makes Apple’s Matrix coprocessor (AMX) is different.

Before we get to the big question, let me start with the basic concepts such as what a matrix and a coprocessor is.

What is a Matrix Anyway?

A matrix is basically just a table of numbers. If you have worked with spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel, you have basically worked with something very similar to matricies. The key…