Multicore MCU enables Gigabit Ethernet IoT

23rd March 2015

Siobhan O'Gorman

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A multicore MCU, which integrates 16 high-performance 32-bit-RISC-processor-cores in a single device, has been introduced by XMOS. The xCORE-200 delivers up to 2000MIPS of real-time computing power and is claimed to be the industry’s first 10/100/1000Gb Ethernet solution available with a programmable MAC layer and internet webserver support. This advanced capability from a low-cost multicore MCU opens up a whole new set of Gigabit-speed IoT applications.

Nigel Toon, CEO, XMOS, said: “This next-gen xCORE-200 product family delivers twice the performance and four times the on-chip SRAM memory, when compared to our 1st gen xCORE multicore MCUs. The MCUs add a flexible Gigabit Ethernet port alongside a high performance and programmable XMOS USB 2.0 interface, and will be available with up to 2MB of on-chip Flash memory for system-level integration and security. This combination of performance and real-time flexibility makes xCORE-200 suitable for high performance consumer and professional audio, as well as emerging Gigabit-speed IoT applications.”

XMOS has already sampled lead customers with the xCORE-200 and the xCORE-200 eXplorerKIT evaluation board.

“The IoT market demands new infrastructure capabilities with greater scalability, flexibility and support for high-bandwidth applications and services. At openBerlin, the Cisco Internet of Everything Innovation Center, we’re working with the XMOS xCORE-200 on new applications and solutions for industrial IoT,” commented Dimitar Vasilev, CTO, Cisco IoE Innovation Platform, openBerlin.

“We are thrilled to be one of the first customers to receive the xCORE-200 eXplorer board,” said Andy Lobato, CEO, Helitune. “Our advanced system monitoring applications need the fastest response times and full timing synchronisation and determinism in a very small package so that we can capture and process multiple critical sensing elements in real-time. The xCORE-200 multicore MCU family, which we can programme and configure entirely in software, is a perfect fit for this demanding application.”

Tom Knesel, President, Pivitec LLC, commented: “The xCORE-200 family allows us to extend our digital audio mixer and audio interface capabilities to create up to 128 high-resolution digital audio channels all on a single, low cost, deterministic and flexible, multicore platform.”

The XE216-512-TQ128 will cost less than $4.75 and be sold in high volumes. Advanced xCORE-200 multicore MCUs with 24 and 32 high-performance 32-bit-processor cores will be available in the second half of 2015.