Multicore MCU Manages Residential And Home Multimedia

Efficient and secure handling of network data like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or streaming video are second nature for Freescale s 266-MHz MPC8321. It combines a 64-bit PowerPC e300c2 core with the 32-bit QUICC II RISC engine, which manages communication chores. Hardware encryption further distributes the processing load. Its microcode packages running on the five unified communication controllers (UCCs) can deliver NAT, Firewall, IPSec, and Advanced Quality of Service (QoS) over standard network interfaces such as ATM up to OC-3 speeds, UTOPIA, and 10/100 Ethernet. It also can handle peripherals via USB and SPI. The PowerPC core gets a boost with an extra integer unit and a new 16- by 32-bit multiplier. The distributed architecture delivers significantly more processing power than a single core solution. Pricing starts at $12.95 for a 516-pin plastic ball-grid array package. A reference platform is available with mini-PCI and CompactFlash expansion plus a four-port Ethernet switch.

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