Freescale Semiconductor introduces the first processors based on its QorIQ communications platform that also incorporate QUICC Engine multiprotocol technology.

The QorIQ P1012/P1021 processors integrate a programmable QUICC Engine alongside one or two 800MHz cores based on Power Architecture technology.

According to Freescale, the combination of the QorIQ and QUICC Engine technologies enables the devices to provide both data- and control-plane processing, which eliminates the need for separate FPGAs or Asics.

The devices are pin-compatible with existing QorIQ P1 and P2 products, as well as software-compatible with several Freescale PowerQUICC II Pro and PowerQUICC III processors, including the MPC8323, MPC8358, MPC8360 and MPC8569 devices.

The processors support legacy interfaces and protocols such as T1/E1, xDSL, ATM, HDLC and 10/100/1000 Ethernet for applications including multiservice routers, SMB gateways and IP-PBX equipment.

Based on 45nm process technology, the new processors incorporate large, high-performance L2 cache memories and feature support for DDR3 memory.

The devices also integrate SGMII, USB 2.0 and PCI Express interconnect technologies.