Trade Resources Company News Freescale Semiconductor Has Signed a Major New ARM License Agreement

Freescale Semiconductor Has Signed a Major New ARM License Agreement

Freescale Semiconductor has signed a major new ARM license agreement which will cover the Cambridge firm’s most advanced processor cores.

Freescale Licenses Arm's 'server' Processor Cores


Freescale has taken a multiyear subscription license with ARM beginning with the ARM Cortex-A50 processor.

"This agreement expands Freescale’s long-term strategic technology partnership with ARM and gives us access to the latest ARM technology for future generations of our i.MX applications processors,” said Geoff Lees, general manager of Freescale’s microcontroller business.

It is licensing the Cortex-A50 series of microprocessors for embedding in its i.MX applications processor and QorIQ communications processor product lines.

The Cortex-A50 processor is based on the ARMv8 architecture and is capable of 64- and 32-bit execution. 

The series initially includes the Cortex-A57 and Cortex-A53 processors. 

The Cortex-A57 processor is ARM’s highest performance processor, its server processor, and the Cortex-A53 processor its smallest 64-bit processor.

The Cortex-A53 and Cortex-A57 processors can operate independently or be combined into an ARM big.LITTLE processor configuration, combining high performance with power efficiency.

“As a result of this new license we can look forward to a seeing a wide range of new and innovative ARM architecture-based designs from Freescale,” said Simon Segars, president, ARM.

Freescale has also introduced its smallest ARM microcontroller, the Kinetis KL02, which measures 1.9 x 2.0mm.

Based on a 48MHz Cortex-M0+ processor core, the MCU delivers 15.9CM/mA and includes autonomous, power-smart peripherals (in this case, an ADC, UART and timer), 10 flexible power modes and wide clock and power gating to minimise power loss. 

A low-power boot mode reduces power spikes during the boot sequence or deep sleep wake-up. This is useful for systems in which battery chemistry limits the allowable peak current, such as those employing lithium-ion batteries frequently used in portable devices.

Source: http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/2013/02/26/55651/freescale-licenses-arms-server-processor-cores.htm
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Freescale Licenses Arm's 'server' Processor Cores