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"A Guide to Embedded Processors" provides an in-depth look at 32- and 64-bit high-speed embedded processors with one to four CPU cores. This completely revised report from The Linley Group contains 230+ pages of information on Altera, AMD, AppliedMicro, Broadcom (NetLogic), Cavium, Freescale, Intel, LSI, Marvell, Mindspeed, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, Via Technologies, and Xilinx.

The report focuses on general-purpose RISC and x86 processors that have one to four CPU cores running at 600MHz or more, excluding specialized architectures (e.g. DSPs, NPUs). Note: previous editions of this report covered all processors in this category, but this one focuses on chips with four or fewer CPU cores. A future report will cover 32- and 64-bit embedded processors with four or more cores.

"A Guide to Embedded Processors" covers Altera’s SoC FPGA processors; Freescale’s QorIQ processors; AppliedMicro’s APM86xxx PowerPC processors; Intel’s embedded Atom, Sandy Bridge, and Ivy Bridge processors; Cavium’s Octeon II and Octeon III families plus the company's ARM-based Econa CNS3xxx processors; Broadcom’s (NetLogic) XLP-I and XLP-II processors plus the new StrataGX processors; LSI’s Axxia processors; Texas Instruments’ Sitara ARM and DaVinci SoCs; and other RISC and x86 processors.

This handy guide, packed with valuable information, brings you up-to-date on the newest developments in this important market and gives you the analysis you need to help choose a supplier or partner in this field. In addition to networking, the report discusses processors that can be used in high-end consumer applications and printers. It also provides market share and market size data for the embedded segments covered.

"A Guide to Embedded Processors" begins with tutorials on the key technologies implemented by these products, background on the embedded market, and a discussion of the newest technology and market trends. Following these introductory chapters, the report delivers thorough coverage of all announced products in this area. For each major vendor, the report examines the performance, features, and architecture of each product, highlighting strengths and weaknesses in a consistent, easy-to-compare fashion. The report concludes with our own comparisons of these products and conclusions about which will fare best.

What's New in This Edition

Updates to the Seventh Edition of "A Guide to Embedded Processors"

"A Guide to Embedded Processors" has been updated to incorporate new announcements made since the publication of the previous edition.

• Freescale began sampling its first QorIQ AMP T-series processors manufactured in 28nm technology.
• Intel introduced its first Ivy Bridge processors manufactured with industry-leading 22nm FinFET technology.
• Cavium announced its first Octeon III processors manufactured in 28nm technology.
• Altera and Xilinx are competing head-to-head by embedding dual ARM Cortex-A9 cores in their FPGAs.
• Broadcom acquired NetLogic and announced the first wave of XLP-II processors manufactured in 28nm technology. Broadcom also introduced a new line of StrataGX embedded processors with Ethernet switching.
• Marvell improved its Armada XP line with extended memory addressing and is making a play for low-power ARM-compatible servers.
• AMD began production of its Embedded R-Series processors, which combine high-performance graphics and server-class CPUs.
• LSI expanded its Axxia line by adding the AXE and AXM 2500 series processors targeting enterprise and mobile communications, respectively.
• 2011-2012 market-size and vendor-share data
• Updated market forecast through 2016

The simplest definition of embedded processor is a microprocessor for systems other than computers. Because of this broad description, it is unsurprising that there are a variety of embedded processors and embedded-processor suppliers. This report focuses on general-purpose processors with one to four CPUs operating at 600MHz or greater. A subsequent report will cover processors with four or more CPUs.

Even after this reduction in scope, much variety still remains among processors and their suppliers. Covered devices use ARM, MIPS, PowerPC, and x86 instruction sets. Dominant application markets include communications and “PC-like” uses, both of which are broad. At one end of the scale, communications includes low-cost, low-power systems for home networking, such as Wi-Fi routers. At the other end, it includes control-plane processors for service-provider routers. PC-like uses also span a wide gamut, including industrial controls, digital signs, casino games, and network-attached storage (NAS). In many cases, suppliers offer processors optimized for a specific market, such as 3W chips with networking accelerators, four-core multigigahertz chips for control-plane use, and processors with accelerated video and 3D graphics for digital signs and games.

System designers can spend inordinate amounts of time sorting through the available options to choose the best processors. Therefore, we have researched the offerings from major vendors to gather in one place the information needed to shorten the list. Our conclusions include:

• Intel has made great strides in reducing its processors’ power consumption and improving integration. Its new Crystal Forest platform adds features that previously would have required a separate add-in card in an x86-based system. Nonetheless, although its high-end processors deliver industry-leading performance, they cannot match the performance and features of competing processors at a given threshold of power consumption.
• Freescale offers a broad line of processors, including dozens of single- and dual-core chips. As the largest supplier of embedded processors for communications and the second-largest embedded supplier overall after Intel, Freescale is the target of most smaller competitors’ ambitions. These companies seek to chip away at the incumbent’s position by offering slightly better processors. None individually can match Freescale’s breadth, but collectively, they pose a big threat. Because of its market position and strong product execution in recent years, Freescale remains in a good position, being able to offer upgrades to its installed base and numerous options for new designs.
• Broadcom is suddenly an embedded-processor supplier to be reck­oned with. The acquisition of NetLogic, which netted the XLP line of high-speed communications processors, combined with Broad­com’s ability to comarket these processors with its Ethernet switches and other ASSPs practically ensures they will garner more revenue in coming years. In a lesser but still significant move, the company introduced the StrataGX processor family. This family follows a simi­lar line of MIPS-based chips but converts to ARM and adds packet-processing functions, an integrated Ethernet switch, and GbE PHYs.
• LSI’s Axxia processors can tackle tasks that other processors cannot, owing to their integration of function units derived from the company’s network processors. Its newest processors are dual-core PowerPC devices, with some editions targeting mobile infrastructure and enterprise networking.
• Cavium processors have a rich set of interfaces and excel at accelerating networking functions. Its product line is less strong in low-cost, low-power processors for consumer networking and in high-performance processors for networking control-plane use.
• AMD’s Embedded G-Series is an attractive solution for PC-like platforms. Opteron, however, is a dated design, requiring two system-logic chips and delivering less performance than Intel’s Xeon in a comparable power envelope. Likewise, an old-fashioned two-chip set for system logic is handicapping Via Technologies and its Nano processors, which would otherwise compare with AMD’s G-Series.
• Xilinx could upend the embedded market with its Zynq products that combine FPGA and ARM processor technology. Altera is hot on Xilinx’s heels with similar products. STMicroelectronics offers comparable benefits with its mask-programmable Spear-1300 line.
• AppliedMicro has a revamped line of single-core and dual-core PowerPC processors. Its lower-cost processors have an advantage in high-performance consumer gear like 802.11ac routers and NAS systems. Processors for such gear have been a strength of Marvell (where much of AppliedMicro’s management comes from), but Marvell’s lineup of ARM processors needs a refresh. Meanwhile, Mindspeed has developed its third-generation gateway processor, the Comcerto 2000, and is looking to expand the markets it addresses.

The embedded-pro­cessor market in 2015 will top $4.0 billion. This sum is large enough to sustain many suppliers, but the industry is likely to coalesce around a few large companies. Many vendors are vying for this position. Those that succeed will successfully marry innovation and execution; others will wither. Embedded-system designers are both the kings and pawns in this game. Collectively, their purchases determine the winner, but customers who choose a runner-up may have to redesign their systems around a different pro­cessor or remain tied to a smaller supplier with fewer resources to develop new products.

Choosing the best supplier is thus critical. This report analyzes the products, capabilities, and strate­gies of each vendor to determine which prod­ucts are best suited to each embedded application and which vendors are most likely to succeed.