Freescale intros multicore MSC8154 DSP to speed adoption of LTE, other 4G wireless standards

SHENZHEN, CHINA: Freescale Semiconductor introduces the MSC8154 processor – a four-core version of Freescale’s award-winning, high-performance MSC8156 digital signal processor (DSP). The device is designed to add a variety of price, power and throughput options to Freescale’s portfolio of high performance DSPs based on StarCore technology.

The MSC8154 is manufactured using 45-nm process technology and is pin- and code-compatible with the MSC8156 device. This allows designers to use the same board design for lower bandwidth macro- or micro-base station designs.

Freescale also introduces the availability of supporting software to help OEMs speed software development for 3G-LTE base stations, as well as a high-density reference board design and DSP enablement platform that enables customers and third parties to speed development of next-generation wireless infrastructure equipment.

The MSC8154AMC (Advanced Mezzanine Card) integrates three four-core MSC8154 DSPs and is designed for 3G-LTE, TDD-LTE, WCDMA and WiMAX base stations as well as media gateway systems. Freescale also offers the MSC8156AMC solution, which is based on the six-core MSC8156 DSP.

“Freescale’s MSC8154 processor builds on the success of the MSC8156 six-core device and introduces a lower cost option with optimized performance for lower bandwidth base station applications,” said Scott Aylor, general manager of DSP Products for Freescale’s Networking & Multimedia Group. “In addition, the AMC reference design provides OEMs with an ideal platform to take full advantage of the benefits of future wireless standards.”