Emerson Network Power and Freescale Semiconductor collaborate on Power Architecture technology for small form factor boards

The two companies will soon release a white paper on the Web site of the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG) that defines how to design systems using Freescale QorIQ processors on modular SBCs 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 groundbreaking 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 for their markets,” 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 Power Architecture technology and the COM Express form factor will appeal to a broad customer base in military, aerospace, government, medical, automation and industrial markets.”

“Integrating Freescale’s flagship networking processors into standardized form factors holds the potential to dramatically enhance innovation across a range of markets in which 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.”