Emerson Network Power and Freescale Semiconductor have announced a collaborative effort to deploy Freescale’s multicore QorIQ processors on modular single-board computers (SBCs) based on the COM Express small form factor.
The goal of the collaborative initiative is to deliver power, performance, integration and broad feature sets that are associated with embedded processors to systems designers targeting the telecom, military, aerospace, medical and factory automation markets. Resulting products are intended to help OEMs simplify design cycles, reduce development costs and speed time-to-market.
The two companies will soon release a white paper on the web site of the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group that will define how to design systems using Freescale QorIQ processors on modular single-board computers based on the COM Express small form factor.
Based on Freescale's e500 core designed with Power Architecture technology, QorIQ devices offer a broad range of price, performance and power options that are ideal for a variety of market requirements. QorIQ processors are the next generation successor to the ground breaking PowerQUICC device family, which pioneered the communications processor space.
“The availability of Power Architecture technology-based processors on small form factor boards will expand customer choices and allow OEMs to focus valuable R&D resources on solutions in their market place,” said Joe Pavlat, President of the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group. “I support the intent to get these ideas incorporated into appropriate standards.”
Computer-on-Modules (COMs) are highly integrated SBCs that provide the core functionality of a system and allow application-specific features to be designed onto a carrier board, creating a semi-custom embedded computing solution. Bringing these two technologies together eliminates the chip-level design effort, simplifying the OEM design cycle and reducing the customer’s hardware design time and cost. OEMs are able to focus on differentiating their product through software and other features and realize revenue sooner.
“With reduced design resources, an increasing number of OEMs are faced with challenging ‘build or buy’ scenarios, encouraging them to adopt SBC solutions in contrast to traditional chip-level design due to their ability to reduce development costs and enable a faster time-to-market,” said Dick DuBois, senior vice president of Emerson Network Power’s Embedded Computing business. “In addition to telecom markets, the combination of the Power Architecture and COM Express form factor will appeal to a broad customer base in military, aerospace, government, medical, automation and industrial.”
“Integrating Freescale’s flagship networking processors into standardized form factors holds the potential to dramatically enhance innovation across a range of markets where high performance and low power are critical,” said Brett Butler, vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Networking Processor Division. “Freescale is pleased to collaborate with Emerson to help take SBC solutions to new levels of performance and energy efficiency.”
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