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Dual-core processor hosts embedded Linux

Power Architecture mpu comes with mobileGT Linux starter kit for industrial applications

At the Embedded Systems Show in San Jose, California, this week Freescale introduced a dual-core system-on-chip (SoC) in its mobileGT processor family, the MPC5123. The device will, Freescale says, simplify embedded-Linux OS-based product development and reduce power requirements and system cost for industrial and consumer applications. It is a progression from the MPC5200 and combines a Power Architecture e300 core running at up to 400 MHz with a multimedia co-processor. Freescale has assembled a Linux OS-based starter kit to support designs in areas such as factory automation systems, display kiosks, instrumentation, point-of-sale (POS) systems, power metering, medical monitoring and other industrial and scientific applications, as well as automotive telematics and navigation systems.
On-chip peripherals include 10/100 Ethernet, PCI, SATA, PATA, two USB 2.0 On-The-Go (OTG) modules with an integrated high speed PHY, four CAN modules and 12 programmable serial controllers. An on-chip integrated display controller also drives LCD TFT displays. It has 128 kbyte of on-chip SRAM and numerous embedded memory buffers. The starter kit that includes a Linux board-support package: the software includes fully functional Linux open-source images with source code, an open-source tool chain and design documentation. Freescale developed the software with Genesi.
Hardware features include 32 kbyte instruction cache and 32 kbyte data cache, double-precision floating point unit and dual integer units, and up to 800 MIPS (at 400 MHz) from the Power Architecture core; the 32-bit RISC multimedia core runs at up to 200 MHz. The display controller handles up to 720p (1280x720) and WXGA (1366x768) resolution.
Freescale promises samples in the third quarter of 2008 and the price will be $20 (10,000)