Embedded Processor Watch

Senior Editor: Tom Halfhill

In This Issue:

• SiByte Reveals 64-Bit Core for NPUs
• IDT's RC32334 Integrates PCI
• MDR Seminars and Dinner on July 13

SiByte Reveals 64-Bit Core for NPUs

By Tom R. Halfhill

On June 12, unfazed by the burgeoning number of network processors (NPUs), SiByte disclosed the first details of its new SB-1 microprocessor core at Embedded Processor Forum. If the Silicon Valley startup can deliver what it promises -- a 1GHz core that surpasses 2,000 Dhrystone mips while consuming only 2.5W -- the SB-1 will push MIPS-based NPUs to new heights of power efficiency and performance.

SiByte plans to use the new SB-1 core in a family of integrated NPUs for the networking and communications markets (see Embedded Processor Watch #81, http://www.MDRonline.com/embedded/epw/issues/epw_81.html). Fortunately for SiByte, the SB-1 is a highly competitive design. It will probably exceed the performance of MIPS Technologies' own 20Kc, another new MIPS64-based core announced at Embedded Processor Forum. The SB-1 has twice as much execution bandwidth and is expected to run at clock frequencies at least 33% higher than the 20Kc without consuming more power. And the SB-1 has special features for chip multiprocessing (CMP).

SiByte plans to deliver integrated chips based on the SB-1 core in 2001. That's roughly 12 to 18 months after the introduction of similar NPUs from such competitors as IBM, Intel, C-Port, and Sitera. But the SB-1 provides strong evidence that SiByte's experienced engineering team is nobody's doormat. If the SB-1 lives up to expectations, and if the resulting NPUs are as well designed as the core, SiByte has a bright future -- and is a prime acquisition target. (The full version of this article is available online to Microprocessor Report subscribers at http://www.MDRonline.com/mpr/h/2000/0626/142604.html).

IDT's RC32334 Integrates PCI

By Tom R. Halfhill

IDT's new Internetworking Products Division has announced its first chip, a 32-bit MIPS-compatible embedded processor with integrated PCI and SDRAM controllers. The new RC32334 is intended for low-cost network equipment, such as small-office routers, LAN switches, and home DSL gateways. Production quantities are available now in three speed grades: 150MHz ($24), 133MHz ($21), and 100MHz ($19).

Customers who are evaluating MIPS-compatible integrated processors will most likely compare the 32334 to QED's RM5720 Alpine (see Embedded Processor Watch #26, http://www.MDRonline.com/epw/issues/epw_26.html). The 5720 has several advantages: a higher maximum clock rate, a faster and wider SDRAM interface, much larger caches, and about 50% higher performance. However, the 32334 is available now and costs significantly less than QED's announced price for the long-delayed 5720 -- which isn't sampling until next quarter and won't ship until later this year. (The full version of this article is available online to Microprocessor Report subscribers at http://www.MDRonline.com/mpr/h/2000/0626/142605.html).

MDR Seminars and Dinner on July 13

Information appliances, USB 2.0, and pervasive computing. They're the new buzzwords we encounter daily. Now here's your opportunity to take a close look at the substance behind the headlines in two full-day seminars and a special dinner presentation sponsored by Cahners MicroDesign Resources in Santa Clara on July 13.

FULL DAY SEMINARS: "Information Appliances: Reshaping the Computer Landscape," presented by Michael Slater, Cahners MicroDesign Resources.

"USB: A Hands-On Workshop," presented by Lane Hauck, Cypress Semiconductor.

DINNER PRESENTATION: "Pervasive Computing: Technology, Crossings, Issues, and Implications," presented by Robert Morris, director of the IBM Almaden Research Center and IBM's vice president for personal systems and storage.

REGISTER NOW! Space is limited for both the seminars and the dinner, so reserve your place today. Complete seminar descriptions, plus pricing information and on-online registration is available on the MDR web site at http://www.MDRonline.com/July13, or call us at 800.527.0288 or 408.328.3900.