Freescale extends QorIQ T1 and T2 families with four new products

With these additions, the QorIQ T1 and T2 families represent one of the industry’s most scalable, pin-compatible portfolios of embedded 64-bit multicore communications processors. Built on Power Architecture technology, the new products target entry-level to mid-range networking, printing and security device applications.

The T1 family now includes dual- and quad-core devices, and the T2 family includes eight virtual-core devices, enabling a range of performance spanning from 1.2 GHz to 1.8 GHz per core. In addition to the T1040, Freescale is today introducing the T1020, which incorporates two cores and an Ethernet switch, the dual-core T1022, as well as the eight virtual-core T2081, which is based on the Power Architecture e6500 core. All of the parts are pin-compatible.

“Freescale has once again leveraged our wealth of networking IP and intelligent integration strength to offer one of the industry’s most scalable, pin-compatible portfolios of multicore communications processors,” said Bernd Lienhard, vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Networking Processor Division. “The QorIQ T1040 with integrated Ethernet switch is especially significant for networking equipment manufacturers, because it allows them to reduce the number of chips in their systems, speed development and realize associated cost and power savings benefits.”

The T1/T2 devices integrate CoreNet, PCI Express and Ethernet networking interfaces, a combination of programmable and fixed processing units, including enhancements to Freescale’s data path acceleration architecture (DPAA) with integrated fixed-functions and networking offload, plus sophisticated pattern matching and security capabilities. Freescale’s intelligent integration, advanced process technology and proven design capabilities provide optimized performance and scalability, as well as flexible power tuning for more energy-efficient designs.

In addition to integrating an eight-port gigabit Ethernet switch, the new T1040 and T1020 products include the features and attributes of the recently announced T1042 device, including Freescale’s DPAA engine, a QUICC Engine block to support a rich set of protocols, shared virtualization technology and next-generation security features. Scalable performance spans from 1.2 GHz to 1.4 GHz and a sophisticated power management system enables deep sleep mode for fanless, energy-efficient designs.

The T1040 and T1020 processors deliver leading performance per watt and reduce overall system cost, power and design complexity, making them ideal for low-cost routers. By offloading key tasks to the switch, the products free the CPU to handle other tasks, delivering 2x to 4x the performance of Freescale’s current-generation QorIQ P1 processors, while maintaining the same power budget. Target applications include enterprise and service provider switching and routing equipment, security appliances and industrial products such as factory automation and smart grid networking products.

The new dual-core T1022 processor delivers more than 2x to 4x the performance and SerDes bandwidth of Freescale’s current generation QorIQ P1/P2 devices, while maintaining the same power budget. It targets a variety of power-sensitive applications, such as enterprise switching and routing equipment, security appliances, and factory automation networking products.

The new T2081 device integrates four dual-threaded Power Architecture e6500 cores running at up to 1.8 GHz and delivers 2x or better in core capability, cache size, SerDes bandwidth and Ethernet connectivity, while maintaining the same power budget as Freescale’s mid-tier 45-nm QorIQ P series devices. Key features include advanced virtualization technology, a broad array of I/O options, DPAA and robust security functionality. The e6500 core’s dual-threaded technology provides 1.7x the performance of a single thread and features the 128-bit AltiVec single instruction multiple data vector processor, which performs calculations that DSPs would otherwise handle, such as media acceleration and radar processing, but at much lower power. The T2081 is designed for control plane or integrated control/data plane processing. Target applications include mobile backhaul equipment, LTE/WCDMA channel cards, control cards and NICs, and test and measurement products.