Freescale Semiconductor expects its ColdFire 32-bit microcontroller to be designed into a wider range of high volume consumer products following the adoption of a new low cost licensing programme.

The licensing programme has created by licensing specialist IPextreme. Called Core Store it will allow customers to license ColdFire cores online at a fraction of traditional licensing costs.

Prices could be as low as $10,000 for the V1 ColdFire core.
 
“Offering a single-use license of the V1 ColdFire core at a $10,000 price point will create significant disruption and expand design opportunities in the entry-level 32-bit embedded marketplace,” said Warren Savage, president and CEO of IPextreme.

“We are excited to join forces with Freescale in this industry-changing licensing initiative,” said Savage.

Freescale launched the ColdFire licensing programme in 2006 with the availability of its V2 ColdFire core through IPextreme. Working in collaboration with Freescale, IPextreme markets, sells and supports Freescale’s V1 and V2 ColdFire cores to system-on-chip (SoC) designers seeking to integrate the cores and other functions onto single-chip ICs.

Designed for entry-level 32-bit applications, the V1 ColdFire core is a simplified version of the V2 ColdFire core. 

The V1 core leverages the 2-stage instruction fetch pipeline and 2-stage operand execution pipeline featured in the V2 ColdFire microarchitecture. With a standardized 8-bit bus and tightly-coupled 32-bit local memories, the V1 core provides an entry point to 32-bit performance.

The V1 ColdFire core is planned to be available for licensing in late Q1 2008.