June 25, 2015, Seoul, Korea – As virtualization of global networks continues to grow and intelligence extends to the network edge, access to personal data is becoming faster, more secure, and more available. Implementation flexibility, ease of use, and high performance, provided through a combination of appropriate hardware and software processing resources and data path load mitigation, are paramount for service providers and OEMs in providing the specialized equipment needed for dynamic and flexible networks that serve as the backbone of the evolving Internet of Things.

To meet these requirements, Freescale Semiconductor (www.freescale.co.kr) today announced the QorIQ LS1088A Octal and LS1048A Quad Multicore processors, based on 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 cores that are performance-optimized and operate in a power-aware manner. These devices integrate Freescale's 2nd Generation Data Path Acceleration Architecture (DPAA2), which provides data path load relief for software developers, and offer networking engineers a flexible and cost-effective low-power solution for the new virtualized networks envisioned by ARM and other companies.

The QorIQ LS1088A and LS1048A processors, which further expand ARM’s industry-leading multicore networking SoC portfolio, feature Cortex-A53 cores operating at up to 1.5GHz. This device offers excellent integration, including a DDR4 memory controller and up to two 10Gb/s and eight 1Gb/s Ethernet interfaces (with L2 switch functionality). 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, Freescale announced the QorIQ LS2 family for new virtualized networks. Now, Freescale is poised to integrate Cortex-A72 core technology and is in a unique position for deeper portfolio expansion," said Tareq Bustami, Vice President of Freescale's Digital Networking Group. "Continuing this momentum, Freescale is further personalizing networks by bringing data closer to customers and providing greater accessibility. The QorIQ LS1088A processor combines load-relief data paths with ARM's cutting-edge 64-bit supported Cortex-A53 cores to deliver an exquisite balance of low power and high performance, providing advanced architectural solutions for the entry-level and intelligent edge segments."

Targeting access and vCPE applications, the product is the first ultra-low-power communications processor to leverage Freescale’s second-generation programmable data path architecture (DPAA2), enabling extreme performance and ease of use through sophisticated accelerator sharing and a simplified, secure networking interface. DPAA2 includes a suite of powerful acceleration engines, including advanced I/O processors for load relief for software running on the CPU. The high performance of the next-generation data path also applies to several proven Freescale network security engines. The result is two highly secure communication processors that combine excellent value, power efficiency, and processing performance.

Another first from Freescale: ARM Cortex-72 for networking

Freescale continues to expand its broad portfolio of ARM-based communications processors, including being the first to announce plans to use ARM Cortex-A72 cores in upcoming communications processors. The Cortex-A72 core, planned to be integrated into the upcoming QorIQ LS2 processor family, is the highest-performing and most advanced ARMv8-A processor core available. Cortex-A72 technology delivers best-in-class performance while lowering overall power consumption.

Charlene Marini, Vice President of Marketing for ARM Embedded Business Unit, stated, “Freescale’s data path acceleration technology and ARM Cortex-A53 and Cortex-A72 cores can provide the agility and efficiency required for evolving mobile and IoT connectivity in the Intelligent Flexible Cloud,” adding, “As data traffic and management complexity increase, we must address network power, cost, and latency challenges. Freescale’s QorIQ LS1088A and LS1048A products address this through a combination of high-efficiency general-purpose computing for robust and efficient packet processing and DPAA2 acceleration technology.”

Development linkage systems and software for ease of use

Development support for the QorIQ LS1088A and LS1048A processors will include a comprehensive software toolkit that provides a high level of hardware abstraction and streamlines software development. This combination balances ease of use with high-performance processing in a familiar Linux® environment. Through this toolkit, customers can maximize the use of underlying hardware and easily adapt to network changes for real-time 'soft' control over the network.

Freescale’s comprehensive support integration system further enhances usability through APIs and interfaces for Linaro and OpenDataPath (ODP) technologies, as well as management software for the easy configuration, initialization, and analysis of accelerator and networking functions. Additionally, Freescale VortiQa, a software solution featuring a performance-optimized functional data path library, along with various development tools and open-source software, are also scheduled to be released.

Supply situation

Freescale QorIQ LS1088A and LS1048A devices are scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 2016. Additionally, Freescale will showcase the powerful performance of Freescale's advanced data path technology through a new demonstration of the QorIQ LS1 and LS2 family processors at the Americas FTF this week.