System Controllers Enhance MIPS And PowerPC Systems

Claimed as the industry’s most powerful system controller architecture for MIPS and PowerPC processor-based systems, the Discovery II family incorporates an innovative crossbar architecture, advanced communications peripherals, and performance-tuned interfaces. The family of six system controllers is targeted at a broad range of applications, from core routers/switches and wireless base stations to high-volume embedded applications such as storage networking and imaging systems. The controllers incorporate an advanced, high-performance, 100-Gbps crossbar switch architecture with any-to-any connectivity and support non-blocking concurrent connections among peripherals at full bus speeds. Discovery II controllers also boast of up to three Gigabit Ethernet MACs, up to two PCI-X interfaces, DDR memory support, integrated 2 Mb of cache coherent SRAM, and software compatibility with previous generations of the company’s Discovery system controllers. The MV64340, MV64341 and MV64342 are designed for 64-bit MIPS microprocessors, such as the PMC Sierra RM7000 series. These devices support MIPS processors’s traditional SysAD bus, as well as extended RM7000 bus protocols up to 133 MHz/LVTTL and 166 MHz/HSTL. The MV64360, MV64361 and MV64362 are designed for PowerPC processors, such as members of Motorola’s MPC74xx and MPC75x families. These devices support the 60x and the advanced Motorola MPX bus protocols. In addition, they are said to be the only system controllers to support symmetrical multi-processing (SMP) in both 60x and MPX modes. Discovery II devices are packaged in a 724-ball PBGA and range in price from $49 to $99 each in high-volume quantities. MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR INC., Sunnyvale, CA. (408) 222-2500.