IBM unveils highest performing SoC processor
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IBM has announced what is claimed as the highest performance, highest throughput processor for use in SoCs. The PowerPC 476FP has been developed in conjunction with LSI, which plans to use the core in future networking products.
Running at speeds in excess of 1.6GHz, the 476FP is said to offer a processing power of 2.5 Dhrystone MIPS – more than twice the performance of IBM's most capable embedded core.
Consuming 1.6W at full performance, the device has been designed for manufacture on IBMs 45nm silicon on insulator process.
"We are pleased to announce this new embedded PowerPC processor," said Richard Busch, IBM's director of asic products. "This … core allows customers to meet the needs of today's applications, while preserving legacy code. Our collaboration with LSI brings together IBM's expertise in processor development and LSI's experience in networking and storage architectures, optimising this core to address today's high speed embedded requirements."
For its part, LSI designed a L2 memory cache which can be configured to provide 256k, 512k or 1Mbyte.
The PowerPC 476FP hardcore is expected to be available to support designs starting in October 2009, with production in 4Q 2010. A synthesizable version is expected towards the end of 2010.
