Freescale Intros Multicore Processors based on ARM Cortex-A53

Freescale Semiconductor introduced its QorIQ LS1088A octal and LS1048A quad multicore processors based on the performance-optimized and power-conscious 64-bit capable ARM Cortex-A53 cores for network edge applications.

The devices integrate Freescale’s second-generation datapath acceleration architecture (DPAA2), delivering datapath offload with software developers in mind, and providing networking engineers with the processing resources to deliver low power, flexible and cost-efficient solutions for new virtualized networks as envisioned by ARM and others.

The new processors feature Cortex-A53 cores running up to 1.5 GHz, along with DDR4 memory controllers and up to two 10 Gbps and eight 1 Gbps Ethernet interfaces with L2 switch capabilities. These ultra-low-power processors are specifically designed for intelligent edge access equipment, NFV and virtual CPE solutions, industrial control systems and intelligent NIC applications.

“Last year we announced the QorIQ LS2 family for the new virtualized network, and today we are in full execution mode and are uniquely positioned for even greater portfolio expansion with the upcoming integration of Cortex-A72 core technology,” said Tareq Bustami, vice president of Freescale's Digital Networking group. “Continuing this momentum, we’re making the network more personal by bringing data closer and more accessible to consumers. The QorIQ LS1088A processor pairs our offload datapath with ARM’s most advanced 64-bit capable Cortex-A53 core, providing an excellent balance of low power and high performance, and bringing an advanced architectural solution to the value tier and the intelligent edge.”


Freescale has also announced plans to use the ARM Cortex-A72 core in a forthcoming communications processor. Planned for integration into an upcoming QorIQ LS2 processor product line, the Cortex-A72 core is the highest-performance and most advanced ARMv8-A processor core. Cortex-A72 technology simultaneously reduces overall power consumption while delivering best-in-class performance.

Freescale’s QorIQ LS1088A and LS1048A devices are planned for availability in Q1 2016.

http://www.freescale.com

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Freescale Intros White Box SDN with Advantech

Freescale Semiconductor introduced its new SDN switching platform powered by its QorIQ multicore processors and designed to bring intelligence, agility and security to the network’s edge for the secure Internet of Tomorrow.

The white box solution, which was developed in conjunction with Advantech, leverages Freescale’s 24-core, server-class QorIQ T4240 processor and VortiQa Open Network software. The platform couples the QorIQ processors with standard switch ASIC devices. The platform utilizes standards-based protocols such as OpenFlow, and supports manageability through open technologies such as OpenStack and OpenDaylight. It includes VNF support, commercial grade VortiQa SDN software supporting OpenFlow version 1.3 with extensions for Layer 4 and above protocols, and Layer 2/3 forwarding.

Freescale said its new platform enables exceptional network security for virtualized environments by supporting the integration of high performance packet processing functions such as firewalling, intrusion detection and IPSEC over VxLAN.

“In recent years, the world’s networks have undergone a dramatic transformation. Enterprises, network carriers and their equipment suppliers need a new generation of switching technology for this new era,” said Sam Fuller, head of Strategy and Solutions for Freescale’s Digital Networking group. “Freescale’s intelligent switching platform helps OEMs and their customers unleash the full value of SDN, while saving power and cost by eliminating the need for additional appliances commonly required in traditional switching implementations.”

“The Freescale network services switching platform further expands Advantech’s switching product portfolio for equipment manufacturers, integrators and service providers.” said John Muller, vice president of Sales and Marketing, Advantech Networks and Communications group. “When combined with VortiQa Open Network switch software, Enterprise IT and cloud service providers will be able to drive greater flexibility and efficiency into their software defined infrastructure to support the increasing demand for new and innovative services.”

The Freescale platform will be available from Advantech as a commercial grade product that can be customized to meet specific customer requirements in various deployment scenarios. Advantech will be offering first line hardware and software support and services on the platform to facilitate customer designs, reduce development cycles and accelerate time-to-market. The platform will be shipping to lead customers in 2H15 with initial support for IPSec VPN, Policy Based Routing and L2/L3 Ethernet Switching.

http://www.freescale.com

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Freescale Supports Linaro OpenDataPlane for SDN

Freescale Semiconductor announced support for the OpenDataPlane (ODP) standard, a common programming model for software-defined networks (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV).

Specifically, Freescale will support ODP APIs for both ARM and Power Architecture versions of its QorIQ multicore processors. The ODP APIs offer a common abstraction interface for hardware-based acceleration functions such as IPSEC and traffic management, which are implemented in Freescale’s QorIQ multicore processors and engineered to support optimal network performance and security.

“As a founding member of the Linaro Networking Group, Freescale applauds the introduction of ODP version 1.0,” said Nikolay Guenov, director of product management for Freescale’s Digital Networking group. “Freescale and its QorIQ platforms are in solid alignment with ODP, which is the optimal open-ecosystem standard for meeting the performance and efficiency requirements our customers demand.”

http://www.opendataplane.org
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ZTE Chooses Freescale’s SoC for LTE-A Base Stations

ZTE has selected Freescale's QorIQ Qonverge B4860 baseband system-on-chip (SoC) for its next-generation LTE-Advanced macro base stations.

Freescale’s B4860 product is built on the QorIQ Qonverge platform and combines 64-bit, multi-thread Power Architecture CPU cores, StarCore digital signal processor technology, a powerful MAPLE-B baseband acceleration platform and DPAA networking acceleration to provide cost-effective, best-in-class performance and connectivity. The B4860 balances this performance with exceptional power efficiency, plus the future-proofing flexibility to support LTE, LTE-Advanced, WCDMA and 3GPP standards.

“As 4G mobile devices continue to proliferate, and demand for wireless connected devices for the Internet of Things drives even greater demand for ubiquitous bandwidth, wireless carriers are increasingly looking to base station OEMs for higher capacity and throughput,” said Tareq Bustami, Digital Networking Vice President, Freescale Semiconductor.

http://www.freescale.com

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NXP to Acquire Freescale for $11.8 Billion

NXP Semiconductor agreed to acquire Freescale for $6.25 per share in cash and 0.3521 of an NXP ordinary share for each Freescale common share, implying a total equity value for Freescale of approximately $11.8 billion (based on NXP's closing stock price as of February 27, 2015) and a total enterprise value of approximately $16.7 billion including Freescale's net debt.

The deal creates the largest supplier of semiconductors for the automotive industry and the No.1 supplier of general microcontrollers (MCUs).

The combined company will capitalize on the growing opportunities created by the accelerating demand for security, connectivity and processing. NXP estimates annual cost synergies of $500 million.

"Today's announcement is a transformative step in our objective to become the industry leader in high performance mixed signal solutions. The combination of NXP and Freescale creates an industry powerhouse focused on the high growth opportunities in the Smarter World. We fully expect to continue to significantly out-grow the overall market, drive world-class profitability and generate even more cash, which taken together will maximize value for both Freescale and NXP shareholders," said Richard Clemmer, NXP Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Clemmer will continue to be the President and Chief Executive Officer of the merged company.

"We believe this merger, which combines two highly successful and complementary companies, will create significant value for Freescale's and NXP's shareholders, customers and employees. Both companies have built leadership positions and have a sharp focus on delivering superior value to customers. Our combined scale, size and global reach will position our new company to deliver sustainable above market growth. It will also serve to accelerate the strategic plans both companies have invested in, enabling us to deliver more complete solutions to customers," said Gregg Lowe, Freescale Semiconductor President and Chief Executive Officer.


http://ir.freescale.com/investor-relations.aspx
http://www.nxp.com

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Freescale and Bell Labs Extend Collaboration in Wireless

Freescale Semiconductor and Alcatel-Lucent's Bell Labs agreed to expand a long-term partnership in both commercial and research endeavors, pairing Freescale’s networking silicon and software with Bell Labs’ systems knowledge.  The companies are collaborating on a range of new initiatives intended to drive further innovation for the world’s increasingly virtualized networks. Specifically, the companies will collaborate to create an industry-first universal access device that can flexibly be used for any combination of wireline and wireless connections.

“The longstanding partnership between Freescale and Alcatel-Lucent has produced novel solutions that help leading mobile operators differentiate and win with base station deployments offering exceptional throughput, optimal user density and outstanding power efficiency,” said Tom Deitrich, senior vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Digital Networking group. “As the Internet of Tomorrow grows the number of network endpoints, boosting throughput and enhancing quality of service become even more important. This is where we intend to focus moving forward, as we continue our fruitful partnership with Alcatel-Lucent and Bell Labs.”

http://otp.investis.com/clients/us/free_scale/usn/usnews-story.aspx?cid=896&newsid=28654

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Freescale Acquires Zenverge for 4K Transcoding

Freescale Semiconductor has acquired Zenverge, a leading developer of advanced HD content processing ICs. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Zenverge’s transcoding technology enables the conversion of one media stream into multiple streams, each individually formatted and optimized for the specific internet connected device or platform where it will be displayed. Among the supported formats planned is the Ultra HD (HEVC) standard, which features outstanding 4K resolution while delivering up to 50 percent bandwidth savings due to highly advanced data compression. As part of the agreement, key members of Zenverge have joined Freescale. Zenverge is based in Santa Clara, California.

Freescale said the acquisition will significantly enhance its content processing, storage and interoperability capabilities for a range of Video Internet of Things applications and markets.

“This acquisition extends Freescale’s reach into both display- and media-centric processing at a time when both the volume and density of internet content is growing rapidly,” said Lees. “Zenverge is a recognized leader in the secure optimization, unification, storage and distribution of rich digital content. The company’s highly advanced technologies present growth opportunities for Freescale in new markets, while providing compelling and highly differentiated functionality for future generations of many popular Freescale product portfolios.”

http://www.freescale.com
http://www.zenverge.com/

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Freescale Debuts 64-bit ARM-based Processor for SDN/NFV

Freescale introduced a power-efficient, 64-bit ARM-based processor designed for highly virtualized, software-defined networks.

The new QorIQ LS1043A quad-core processor delivers 1.5 GHz of performance and requires power as low as just 6 W to operate. The device integrates four 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 cores, delivering 10+ Gbps and an estimated 16,000+ CoreMarks of CPU performance.

It features advanced virtualization hardware, supports flexible, secure cloud application updates with Freescale’s trust architecture, and offloads latency sensitive applications for optimized local performance with proven classification and traffic management hardware.

Freescale said its design target with this processor includes affordable vCPE products and other next-generation edge networking equipment, such as branch routers, security appliances and SDN/NFV edge platforms.

Freescale's QorIQ LS1043A includes a wide range of high-speed I/O for wired and wireless systems including 10 GbE plus 5x 1GbE, 3x PCI Express, 3x USB 3.0 with PHYs and SATA 3.0. Freescale’s multi-protocol QUICC Engine module is also incorporated for integrated support of legacy wide area and industrial interfaces.

“Freescale is driving affordable virtualized services by delivering outstanding performance, efficiency and intelligence to the network’s edge,” said Tareq Bustami, vice president and general manager of product management for Freescale’s Digital Networking group. “This new QorIQ LS1043A processor reinforces Freescale’s leadership in providing the world’s top equipment OEMs with optimized platforms for broadly deployed, secure and flexible edge services.”

http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=LS1043A&tid=LS1043A

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Vitesse Licenses GigE IP Cores for Freescale's QorIQ Processors

Freescale Semiconductor has licensed Vitesse Semiconductor's VSC9953-01 SparX Gigabit Ethernet switch IP core for use in its 28nm QorIQ T1040 quad-core and T1020 dual-core communications processors, now sampling to customers. Targeted applications include gateway routers and industrial automation, as well as unified threat management (UTM) and network attached storage (NAS) networking. Together, Freescale's processor family and Vitesse's complementary portfolio of Ethernet switches, PHYs and software deliver carrier-grade Ethernet functionality for diverse mixed control and data plane applications.

"Freescale's QorIQ T1040/T1020 64-bit embedded communications processors are among the industry's first to integrate a Gigabit Ethernet switch," said Nikolay Guenov, director of product management for Freescale's Digital Networking group. "Vitesse's proven switch IP core and high-quality support enabled Freescale to quickly bring to market a highly integrated, scalable managed Ethernet solution with significant performance and system level design benefits."

"Gigabit Ethernet connectivity is becoming a de facto standard in various applications, such as storage, smart grid and other industrial uses," said Brian Jaroszewski, senior product marketing manager of IP licensing at Vitesse. "Licensing our IP cores to market leaders such as Freescale strategically aligns with Vitesse's goal to penetrate adjacent or similar markets. The fact that the IP core reliability and quality are directly validated in Vitesse's external switch IC chips minimizes our customers' integration risks and expedites their time to market with field-proven Gigabit Ethernet solutions."

https://www.vitesse.com/

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Freescale Posts Q1 Sales of $1.13 Billion

Freescale Semiconductor reported Q1 2014 sales of $1.13 billion, compared to $1.08 billion in the fourth quarter of 2013 and $981 million in the first quarter of 2013. Net loss for the first quarter was $23 million, or $0.08 per share, compared to a net loss of $118 million, or $0.46 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2013 and a net loss of $48 million, or $0.19 per share in the first quarter of 2013.

“We continue to see solid progress on our initiatives to increase revenue and improve gross margin,” said Gregg Lowe, president and CEO. “All five product groups generated revenue growth sequentially and year over year. With a 15 percent year-over-year growth in revenue, the company continues to make strides in gaining market share.

The company’s net sales figures for the first quarter of 2014 were as follows:

• Microcontroller net sales were $223 million, compared to $220 million in the fourth quarter of 2013 and $177 million in the first quarter of last year. On a year-over-year basis, Microcontroller revenues benefited from increased sales into distribution and higher sales of applications processors into the automotive market.
• Digital Networking net sales were $249 million, compared to $246 million in the fourth quarter of 2013 and $202 million in the first quarter of last year. Year-over-year networking sales growth was broad based across service provider, enterprise and general embedded segments. Sequentially, the networking business benefited from higher sales of service provider equipment, including wireless base stations in China.
• Automotive Microcontroller net sales were $304 million, compared to $267 million in the fourth quarter of 2013 and $254 million in the first quarter of last year. Automotive Microcontroller sales benefited from growth in all key geographies and in distribution due to growth in semiconductor content and higher automotive production levels.
• Analog and Sensor net sales were $198 million, compared to $190 million in the fourth quarter of 2013 and $177 million in the first quarter of last year. Analog and Sensor sales benefited on a sequential and year-over-year basis from higher sales into the growing worldwide automotive market.
• RF net sales, which include sales of power amplifiers to the wireless infrastructure market, were $113 million, compared to $96 million in the fourth quarter of 2013 and $86 million in the first quarter of last year. On a sequential and year-over-year basis, RF sales increased due to increased spending on 3G and 4G wireless networks, particularly in China.

http://www.freescale.com

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Freescale to Acquire Mindspeed's Comcerto CPE Processor Business

Freescale Semiconductor agreed to acquire Mindspeed Technologies' Comcerto CPE communications processor business.  Financial terms were not disclosed.  Mindspeed is owned by M/A-Com.

Mindspeed's Comcerto line includes multicore, ARM-based embedded processors and associated software. The Comcerto 2000 SoC is supported by an extensive software library and combines two 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPUs with packet engines and communications accelerators.

“This acquisition will extend Freescale’s reach into gateways and network-attached storage at a time when both are on the cusp of advances in ease-of-use, cloud technology, home automation and security, and the Internet of Things (IoT),” said Tom Deitrich, senior vice president and general manager for Freescale’s Digital Networking product group.  "These products will also extend the breadth of our networking multicore processor portfolio, present new revenue growth opportunities, and allow us to offer even more options to our customers.”

http://www.freescale.com

• In December 2013, Intel acquired the wireless infrastructure division of Mindspeed Technologies.  Financial terms were not disclosed. The asset sale was contemplated by M/A-COM Technology Solutions' agreement to acquire Mindspeed, which was announced in November.  Mindspeed is a leading supplier of processor for small cells in 3G/HSPA, TD-SCDMA and LTE.  Its base station semiconductor solutions serve residential to enterprise to pico/metro applications.

• In November 2013, M/A-COM Technology Solutions, a supplier of high performance RF, microwave, and millimeter wave products, agreed to acquire Mindspeed Technologies for $5.05 per share in a cash, a 66% premium over the company's previous close of $3.04 on November 4, 2013. This represents an enterprise value of $270 million. Mindspeed, which is based in Newport Beach, California, supplies semiconductors for communications infrastructure, including broadband access networks (fixed and mobile), enterprise networks and metropolitan and wide area networks (fixed and mobile). Its main product lines include its Transcede family of low-power, multi-core system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for 3G and 4G/LTE small cell base stations, and its Comcerto family of processors for triple-play access gateways. M/A-COM, which is based in Lowell, Massachusetts, supplies high performance RF, microwave, and millimeter wave products that enable next-generation internet and modern battlefield applications.

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Freescale Had 20 Employees on Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight

Freescale Semiconductor had 20 of its employees on the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Twelve are from Malaysia and eight are from China.

“At present, we are solely focused on our employees and their families,” said Gregg Lowe, president and CEO, Freescale. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this tragic event.”

http://media.freescale.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=196520&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1907348&highlight=

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Freescale Unveils New Metrocell Base Station Processor

Freescale Semiconductor is unveiling its next generation QorIQ Qonverge portfolio of base station-on-chip processors. The new base station SoC integrates digital front-end (DFE) technology, which improves power amplifier (PA) efficiency and significantly reduces base station power and costs.

The QorIQ Qonverge B3421 device offers embedded CPU cores, DSP cores, baseband accelerators and DFE technology.  It also features Power over Ethernet (PoE) capabilities to meet low power requirements, support for JESD204B, JESD207 and CPRI interfaces to support various antenna schemes, PCI Express for connectivity to WiFi chipsets, SATA for local content caching and Ethernet SGMII backhaul interfaces.

The B3421 device is fully optimized for concurrent LTE and WiFi operation, and supports LTE-TDD, LTE-FDD and LTE-Advanced wireless standards. Advanced 4x4 MiMO algorithms and 3GPP standard up to Release 11, advanced interference cancelling schemes, eICIC and carrier aggregation additionally improve spectral efficiency and provide future-proofing for OEMs and operators.

“Freescale pioneered the base station-on-chip market three years ago when we introduced the industry's first multimode wireless base station processor family to scale from small to large cells,” said Tareq Bustami, vice president of product management for Freescale’s Digital Networking business. “The new QorIQ Qonverge B3421 device targets the rapidly growing metro segment and reinforces our commitment to wireless networking leadership, as we continue to invest to stay ahead of market requirements.”

Sampling for the QorIQ Qonverge B3421 product is planned for Q1 2015.

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Freescale Demos Simultaneous LTE and WCDMA on a Single Base Station Processor

Freescale Semiconductor's QorIQ Qonverge BSC9132 SoC for small cell base station can now run simultaneous WCDMA and LTE thanks to the company's integrated VortiQa Layer 1 (L1) software.

“The addition of WCDMA multimode capability to our comprehensive portfolio of LTE L1 software underscores Freescale’s strong commitment to the small cell market,” said Stephen Turnbull, wireless marketing manager for Freescale’s Digital Networking business. “Freescale is helping accelerate the ability of small cell manufacturers to deliver multimode picocell solutions that work together seamlessly and meet the requirements of wireless network operators.”

http://www.freescale.com

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ZTE Picks Freescale’s QorIQ Qonverge for TD-LTE Small Cells

ZTE has selected Freescale’s QorIQ Qonverge BSC9132 “base station-on-chip” for TD-LTE femtocell products.  The small cells are to be deployed starting later this year.

“ZTE is playing a pivotal role in the build-out of LTE networks across global 4G markets,” said Zhang Shizhuang, TDD product director for ZTE. “The performance, energy efficiency and scalability of Freescale’s proven QorIQ Qonverge platform allow us to deliver compelling and highly differentiated products designed to establish an early leadership position in LTE solutions.”

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