Freescale

Freescale may be the first semiconductor company to associate itself aggressively with portable Linux devices. The former Motorola semiconductor division is sharply targeting the low-priced Linux-based netbook market, which is hot in the world market and just starting to get warm in the U.S.

Early this year Freescale launched a new processor called the "i.MX515 Coretex A8 Netbook Processor". Company literature positions the part for "low-power, gigahertz performance netbooks at sub-$200 price points". According to CNET, Glen Burchers, director of global marketing for Freescale's consumer products group, says "Because the primary function (of a Netbook) is accessing the Internet, Linux and Firefox are a good operating system and application for that purpose".

Freescale is developing a reference design with Asus-subsidiary Pegatron. It will feature the 1GHz i.MX51 processor, Ubuntu Linux, Adobe's Flash Player, a new power management chip, and the SGTL5000 ultra low-power audio codec.

Some data:

• The i.MX515 is a 65 nm CPU based on an ARM11 Cortex-A8 blueprint
• Clocks from 600 MHz to 1 GHz.
• Includes the SGTL5000 "ultra low-power audio codec"
• OpenVG and OpenGL graphics cores are available
• Up to 8 hours battery life with displays up to 8.9 inches
• Memory interface supports both DDR2 and mobile DDR1.
• MC13982 power-management integrated circuit, for reduced size and weight and more battery life

The company is working first with Tier 1 OEMs (so watch for Asus units) and expects products to start hitting in Q2 of this year. In other words, about now.

- Doc Searls

Sources:

http://www.freescale.com/webapp/search/Serp.jsp

http://arstechnica.com/journals/linux.ars/2009/01/07/new-freescale-processors-target-linux-netbooks

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10130690-92.html

http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700361