AMD has for the first time moved several of its high-end 32/64-bit Opteron microprocessors onto its embedded roadmap, assuring availability of the parts for five years to accommodate the longevity requirements of embedded applications. Two Opteron models will initially join the company's Alchemy and Geode processors on the embedded roadmap — the dual-core Models 252 and 852, available to embedded “partners” this calendar quarter. The single-core Opteron Model 152 will be added in April. The processors target such applications as telecommunications servers, storage systems, and digital imaging systems.

AMD's family of embedded processors
AMD has put Opteron on the longevity track because of customer requests, the company said, citing specific requests from Sun Microsystems, Curtis Wright Embedded Computer, and Win Enterprises. AMD says it is targeting the Opteron at embedded systems requiring 32/64-bit CPU performance in excess of 1.4 GHz, and that can afford CPU power consumption of 30 Watts and CPU price-points of $250 or more.

Win Enterprises will use an Opteron for a new, high-end single-board computer (SBC) in the EBX form-factor (shown here). “A number of our customers have been approaching us, asking for 64-bit processor capability on a small platform for quite a while,” said Chiman Patel, WIN CEO and CTO. “The entry of AMD into this market space has enabled us to meet those customers' unique requirements.”

Sun Microsystems also signaled its intent to use Opteron in its next-gen ATCA boards for telecom servers, which run Carrier Grade Linux and Solaris.

The Opteron expands AMD's embedded reach into the high end for performance-hungry applications, said Gordon Haff, Senior Analyst and IT Advisor for Illuminata, “while still taking advantage of the ubiquitous x86 instruction set and its rich hardware and software ecosystem.”

Embedded operating systems supporting the Opteron include Windows XP Embedded, VxWorks, QNX, and Linux, AMD said.

The Opteron Model 852 is priced at $1,514 in 1,000-unit quantities; Model 252, $851; and Model 152, $637. AMD will offer these processors as standard parts for a five-year time span and then for a two-year end-of-life period by contractual agreement.

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