AMD is preparing to adjust its marquee processors
for use in embedded applications, internetnews.com has learned.
The strategy focuses on altering AMD’s entire x86 64-bit family —
Opteron, Athlon 64 and the upcoming Turion — so that the chips can be used
in new form factors like blade servers
expected to reveal the details during a presentation Monday night with
software partners including PathScale and Wind River.
AMD executives declined to comment on the specifics, but PathScale
founder and vice president Len Rosenthal told internetnews.com
that the shift is part of AMD’s so-called “Longevity” program. PathScale
is expecting to show how its various compiler, performance and
interconnect technologies are helping to broaden AMD’s 64-bit strategy.
“For some time now, AMD’s customers have been looking for embedded
support for 64-bit processors,” Rosenthal said. “AMD has had embedded
support through its older MIPS-based processors like Alchemy and some
x86-32-based ones like Geode. They were traditionally made by building
custom boards, but they lacked a low-latency interface. Various
applications like baggage screening and image processing could
definitely benefit.”
Rosenthal said AMD is more than likely going to launch the initiative
with its low-power Opteron chips, which have been shipping since late
last year. PathScale has been a long-time supporter of AMD products,
specifically working the links between AMD’s HyperTransport interconnect
to the larger-scale InfiniBand architectures.
While the PC market is agog at dual-core 64-bit processors, the
embedded market already takes such chips for granted.
Semiconductor market research firm In-Stat said it is expecting
embedded processors with four, eight and sixteen 64-bit cores this
year. Sales of customer-specific, cell-based designs with at least one embedded
block of 64-bit MPU are forecast to increase from a mere $91.2 million
in 2003 to $1.85 billion by 2008.
“Most manufacturers today are using two 32-bit width processors
rather than a true 64-bit width MPU, but this will change rapidly over
the next two years, as more move to true 64-bit technology,” Jerry
Worchel, In-Stat analyst, said in a recent newsletter. “Similar to its
predecessors, the 4-bit, 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit embedded processors,
the greatest growth opportunity for the 64-bit width processor will be
in a wide variety of Application-Specific Standard Products (ASSPs),
which are already beginning to emerge.”
AMD’s other growth opportunity is that it plays well with
both Microsoft and Linux. The company has been successful in garnering
support from both camps.
“They are using a partnership model, as opposed to complete platform,
to better compete with Intel and the other ARM vendors,” Rob Enderle of
IT research firm Enderle Group said. “Their primary value is price
performance. They were able to pick up Microsoft as a strong partner
thanks to Intel’s active funding of Linux and Microsoft’s own embedded
platform, which dominates several critical industries.”
In related news, AMD released a new development board for its
low-power AMD Geode NX processor family. The board is part of AMD’s
non-PC Internet Appliance market. Along with its Alchemy processor
family, AMD is targeting multimedia, access devices and computing devices,
with growth opportunities in the consumer electronics and communication
segments.
AMD said customers could use the processor to develop x86-based small
form-factor devices including thin-client, point-of-sale or single-board
computers.
