Lanner announced a “cost effective” desktop network appliance based on Freescale's PowerPC-based QorIQ processors. The MR-350 is available either with a single-core QorIQ P1011 (533MHz) or dual-core QorIQ P1020 (800MHz), and offers up to 1GB dual-channel DDR3 memory, 256MB of NAND flash, and five gigabit Ethernet ports controlled via a Marvell 888E6171R switch, says the company.

The only other QorIQ-based desktop network appliance we know of — and please correct us if we're wrong — is Portwell's 1U rackmount CAK-2000, which also runs Linux. Whereas the CAK-2000 was based on the dual-core QorIQ P2020, the more "cost-sensitive" MR-350 adopts the lower-end, single-core Freescale QorIQ P1011 or dual-core QorIQ P1020, clocked to 533MHz or 800MHz, respectively. The SoCs offer a 32KB L1 I-Cache and 32KB L1 D-Cache per Power e500 core, as well as a 256KB L2 Cache with ECC, says Lanner.

Lanner MR-350
(Click to enlarge)

The QorIQ processors are equipped with security protocol tools including advanced encryption standard unit (AESU), cyclical redundancy check unit (CRCU), data encryption standard execution unit (DEU), message digest execution unit (MDEU), public key execution unit (PKEU) and random number generator unit (RNGU) tools, says the company.

Lanner also touts the processors for their support for TCP/IP acceleration and classification along with IEEE 1588 support. Also noted is their capability to increase information throughput by utilizing lossless flow control and enabling Jumbo Frame support. The SoCs are also said to support the implementation of both a Reduced Gigabit Media Independent Interface (RGMII) and Serial Gigabit Media Independent Interface (SGMII).

The MR-350 ships with 512MB or 1GB dual-channel, 667MHz DDR3 memory, as well as 256MB NAND flash, plus 2MB NOR flash for booting, says Lanner. The system offers five gigabit Ethernet RJ/45 Ethernet ports controlled via a Marvell 888E6171R switch chipset, says the company.

An RJ45 console port, a USB 2.0 port, a real time clock, and a reset switch are also said to be available. An MR-350B variant adds a Mini-PCI Express slot, says Lanner.

Available for either desktop placement or half-rack mounting, the MR-350 measures 8.5 x 7.4 x 1.7 inches (216 x 189 x 44mm). The device runs on AC 110-240V input and uses a 36 Watt power adapter, says Lanner. A CPU heatsink and a cooling fan are provided, and operating temperature is said to range from 32 to 104 deg. F (0 to 40 deg. C).

Stated Jesse Chiang, Lanner Network Computing Product Planner, "Freescale offers the best system support for our series of desktop network appliances. While the MR-350 is the first Lanner processing platform to use the QorIQ CPUs, we are unveiling 3 more Freescale based products in the next 2 quarters. The Freescale CPUs allow the MR-350 to offer TCP/IP acceleration above its class."

Availability

The Lanner MR-350 appears to be available now for an unstated price. More information may be found on Lanner's MR-350 page.

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