TimeSys says its online service for embedded Linux developers now supports a Freescale PowerQUICC III SoC (system-on-chip) aimed at networking, communications, and industrial control applications. The newest “LinuxLink” subscription includes a distribution for Freescale's MPC8544E reference board, along with processor-optimized 2.6.21 Linux kernels, optional IDE and testing tools, and ongoing updates.

The LinuxLink service has also gained support for Freescale's MPC8533E, an SoC that targets “hard copy” devices such as multi-function printers.

Freescale announced the MPC8544E in February of this year, at the Embedded World Conference in Nuremberg. Touted as a low-power part built on 90nm process technology, it is based on an e500v2 PowerPC core clocked up to 1.067GHz. Onboard hardware engines accelerate double-precision floating point ops, signal processing, and TCP offload. I/O includes two Ethernet controllers with low-power SGMIIs (serial gigabit media-independent interfaces), and three PCI Express ports.

Freescale MPC8544E function block diagram
(Click to enlarge)
The MPC8533E, meanwhile, was announced in Sept. of last year, at the Freescale Technology Forum in Tokyo. It is also based on an e500 core clocked up to 1GHz, and integrates a DDR memory controller, Security engine, two 10/100/1000 Ethernet controllers, and a PCI Express bus.

Freescale MPC8533 function block diagram
(Click to enlarge)
TimeSys said its new MPC8544E LinuxLink provides ongoing access to up-to-date embedded Linux resources, including:

• Reference distribution optimized for the MPC8544E reference board
• Processor-optimized 2.6.21 Linux kernel
• Repository of hundreds of source and binary cross-compiled packages
• Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
• Testing and profiling tools
• Tools for cross-compiling packages
• Online collaborative development environment with weekly alerts about new content and resources
• Access to extensive resources and interactive support from TimeSys

CEO Atul Bansal stated, “The Freescale PowerQUICC III family is very popular with our customers for a variety of different uses.”

Availability

TimeSys's LinuxLink subscription service is available now for Freescale's MPC8544E and MPC8533E. LinuxLinks are also available for lots of other Freescale chips, including the MPC8548E, MPC8555, and MPC8560 PowerQUICC III parts.

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