Embedded Processor Watch

Editor: Cary D. Snyder

Contributors to this issue: Kevin Krewell, and Peter N. Glaskowsky

In This Issue:

• Intel Raises the Itanium
• Motorola Grows Network Lines
• Intel Boosts Low-Power Offerings

Intel Raises the Itanium
First IA-64 Processor Released at 733MHz and 800MHz
By Kevin Krewell {6/11/01-01}

After more than seven years of development with partner HP, Intel is finally prepared to float Itanium. We can at last see if the performance of the EPIC (explicitly parallel instruction computer) microarchitecture floats or sinks compared with that of modern RISC competitors. The SPECint2000 integer number for Itanium is somewhat competitive at 370(base) but not very impressive for an 800MHz processor that has a 4MB L3 cache, nine issue ports, 328 registers, four integer units, and three branch units—and can issue up to six instructions per cycle. What is impressive is the SPECfp2000_base number. Itanium is now king of the hill for published SPECfp numbers, with a base score of 700.

OEMs's systems are shipping, or will be shipping in the next few months, from Bull, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Hitachi, IBM, SGI, Unisys, and VA Linux. The Itanium will be available in two speed grades (733MHz and 800MHz) and two L3 cache sizes (2M and 4M). Prices range from $1,177 to $4,227. (The full version of this article is available online to Microprocessor Report subscribers at http://www.mdronline.com/mpr/h/2001/0611/152401.html)

Motorola Grows Network Lines
New Products Support Networking and Related Markets
By Peter N. Glaskowsky {6/11/01-03}

Motorola used the occasion of its inaugural Smart Networks Developer Forum last month to introduce several new processors that should accelerate development of voice and data networking equipment. Motorola rolled out the MPC8245 integrated processor based on the 603e core; several new members of the PowerQUICC and PowerQUICC II families of integrated communication processors; the DSP56321 digital signal processor; the MPC190 security processor; and two new CPUs based on the G4 core—the MPC7440 and a lower-power version of the company's MPC7410.

Announcements of support chips, development tools, and strategic agreements among Motorola and various independent chip and software makers accompanied these processor announcements. Although Motorola's first developer forum—distinctly modeled on similar events run by Microsoft and Intel—showed some rough edges, Motorola clearly understands the first requirement for this type of show: Have something to say.

No company has a broader lineup of microprocessors for the communications market than Motorola. With several different processor families and dozens of CPUs targeted at communications applications, Motorola’s product line has few gaps for would-be competitors to exploit. The company's many announcements at the developer forum show that Motorola clearly intends to retain its leadership position. (The full version of this article is available online to Microprocessor Report subscribers at http://www.mdronline.com/mpr/h/2001/0611/152403.html)

Intel Boosts Low-Power Offerings
By Kevin Krewell {6/11/01-04}

Intel has taken another stab at low-power processors, using the existing 0.18-micron process and keeping pressure on Transmeta. On May 21, 2001, Intel released five new ultralow-voltage and low-voltage mobile Pentium III and mobile Celeron processors. Intel introduced an ultralow-voltage (ULV) mobile Intel Pentium III Processor at 600MHz/300MHz (high-power/battery-optimized modes) for $209 (1,000-piece quantities). A low-voltage (LV) mobile Pentium III Processor at 750/500MHz is also available at $316.

Intel also released three new mobile Celeron processors, including a ULV mobile Celeron 600 MHz priced at $144, an LV mobile Celeron at 600MHz (1.35V) at $134, and a regular mobile Celeron 800MHz (1.6V) at $170.

VIA continues to churn out new chip-set support for AMD’s Athlon and Duron processors. This recent addition combines the S3 Graphics ProSavage4 graphics core with VIA’s KT133A chip set, providing the AMD processors with a cost-effective integrated graphics chip-set solution for mobile designs. The ProSavage KN133 chip set supports DSTN displays and dual-channel LVDS LCD displays. The ProSavage KN133 supports AMD’s PowerNow 2.0 power-management technology, introduced in the new mobile Athlon 4 and mobile Duron processors (see MDR 5/29/01-01, "AMD Saddles Up Palomino"). (The full version of this article is available online to Microprocessor Report subscribers at http://www.mdronline.com/mpr/h/2001/0611/152404.html)