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 US.
Early this year, Freescale launched a new processor called the i.MX515 Cortex 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 65nm CPU based on an ARM11 Cortex-A8 blueprint.
* Clocks from 600MHz to 1GHz.
* Includes the SGTL5000 ultra-low-power audio codec.
* OpenVG and OpenGL graphics cores are available.
* Up to eight hours battery life with displays up to 8.9".
* 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 the market in Q2 of this year--in other words, about now.
