NXP licenses ARM Cortex-M4 processor for 32-bit MCU signal processing apps

EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS: NXP Semiconductors has become one of the first ARM partners to license the latest ARM Cortex-M4 processor.

The Cortex-M4 processor is a highly efficient solution for digital signal control (DSC) applications, while maintaining the industry leading capabilities of the ARM Cortex-M family of processors for advanced microcontroller (MCU) applications.

NXP intends to use the Cortex-M4 processor for a wide range of applications which require greater flexibility and signal processing capabilities, such as motor control, automotive, power management, embedded audio and industrial automation applications. NXP will demonstrate these DSP extensions at Embedded World, Nuremberg (March 2-5, 2010) to highlight Cortex-M4’s DSP capabilities. NXP’s booth number: Hall 12, 218.

“The addition of the ARM Cortex-M4 processor to our ARM Cortex portfolio complements our Cortex-M3 and Cortex-M0 processor-based devices and enables us to provide an end to end solution to the MCU community,” said Geoff Lees, vice president and general manager, microcontroller product line, NXP Semiconductors. “With NXP focusing on High Performance Mixed Signal technologies and building on our close cooperation with ARM, we look forward to bringing a Cortex-M4 based MCU to the market, very soon.”

The Cortex-M4 processor is the latest member of the Cortex-M family and is the most efficient ARM processor ever for digital signal control applications. It provides an optimal blend of high-performance digital signal processing features like single-cycle MAC, single instruction multiple data (SIMD) techniques, saturating arithmetic, and a floating point unit, with essential microcontroller features such as integrated interrupt control, low power modes, low cost debug and ease of use. More information is available at: www.arm.com.

NXP provides the complete range of ARM-based 32-bit microcontroller portfolio from the ARM7TDMI, the ARM968, the ARM926, to the Cortex-M3, Cortex-M0 and now Cortex-M4 processors. This award winning product range includes the industry's fastest microcontrollers based on the low-power, cost-effective ARM Cortex-M3 and Cortex-M0 cores.

The NXP LPC1100 is the world's first Cortex-M0 based microcontroller series. With 32-bit performance and multiple power modes including very low, deep sleep power, the LPC1100 series offers industry-leading energy efficiency, greatly extending battery life. The LPC1100 series sets new benchmarks in performance efficiency with dramatically improved code density enabling longer battery life and lower system costs.