Freescale QorIQ processor delivers performance and energy efficiency for green embedded apps

TOKYO, JAPAN: Freescale Semiconductor has introduced the QorIQ P1022 dual-core processor with advanced power management capabilities to support energy-efficient designs for embedded applications. The low-power, high-performance P1022 processor helps embedded systems designers satisfy green-energy mandates while achieving low overall system cost.

Based on 45-nm process technology, the P1022 processor is the sixth announced member of Freescale’s QorIQ multicore product line. The device offers best-in-class energy efficiency and a broad range of performance and integration capabilities. It is ideal for applications where performance and energy efficiency are essential, including printing and imaging products, video surveillance technology, storage equipment, and industrial automation and control applications.

“Increased governmental and regulatory focus on energy efficiency for all classes of embedded products presents new challenges for embedded systems designers and developers,” said Brett Butler, vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Networking Processor Division. “Freescale has designed the QorIQ P1022 processor with advanced power and energy management capabilities to help multicore processing applications meet increasing energy-efficiency standards while enabling low system cost.”

The device features a dual gigahertz core system for concurrent applications processing, delivering networked services, media processing and compelling user-interface capabilities. Built on two Power Architecture cores ranging from 600 MHz to 1 GHz, the P1022 features high-speed triple PCI Express interconnects, hardware acceleration, 256 KB L2 cache and DDR2/3 memory options. The device also integrates Serial ATA interconnect technology and SD/MMC controllers for easy connectivity to integrated storage devices. Freescale additionally offers a single-core processor called the QorIQ P1013 with the same set of system peripherals, interconnect technology and advanced power and energy management features.

Sophisticated power management features include Freescale’s Jog technology, which dynamically lowers power consumption for cyclical workloads. The P1022 processor also offers network-aware packet-lossless deep sleep standby capabilities, enabling the creation of embedded systems that achieve 1 watt AC network standby while maintaining fast, responsive networking for on-demand processing.

Support for both asymmetric multiprocessing (AMP) and symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) operating modes enables performance scaling and flexibility. Freescale has demonstrated up to 82 percent improvement in AMP and up to 78 percent in SMP in test applications with the P1022 processor, versus a single-core device operating at the same clock rates.

Designers can utilize one core for implementing user interfaces and value-added network services, while the second core performs media processing in applications like multi-function printers, video surveillance equipment and remotely stored media servers in an AMP environment. Utilization of SMP in networked media processing is equally efficient, since the P1022 can also parallelize a single workload in SMP mode to help increase overall system speed and responsiveness.

The P1022 processor achieves cost savings at the system level by integrating system peripherals including gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 1588, USB 2.0, SATA, SD/MMC, DUART, SPI, I2C and a user interface LCD controller. In addition, it uses a printed circuit board that is routable in four signal layers to further reduce costs. The P1022 product features cost-effective boot modes including NAND flash, high-speed serial flash and removable SD/MMC.