Timesys has announced that its subscription-based service for embedded Linux developers now supports a networking processor with dual 1.5GHz PowerPC cores. The company's LinuxLink subscription for Freescale's MPC8572 PowerQUICC III helps developers create and maintain custom SMP (symmetric multiprocessing) Linux distributions for the chip, Timesys says.

Freescale's MPC8572 processor is a high-end PowerQUICC III chip based on dual e500 PowerPC cores clocked up to 1.5GHz. It targets high-throughput networking applications, including multi-service routing and switching, Firewall/VPN, unified threat management, intrusion detection and prevention systems, anti-virus, load-balancing, content-switching, and application-aware networking equipment, says Freescale.

The processor started sampling last June, at which time Virtutech announced an MPC8572-compatible simulation model for its Simics tools. General availability for the processor was expected in the second quarter of this year.

Freescale MPC8572 architecture
(Click to enlarge)
The LinuxLink subscription for the MPC8572 offers web-based access to a Linux platform that has been configured to operate in SMP mode for the MPC8572, says Timesys. The platform includes a 2.6.23 Linux kernel, toolchain, and hundreds of pre-compiled packages. It also optionally includes access to the Timesys TimeStorm development tools, web-based support, and documentation for customizing and testing an embedded Linux platform for specific applications.

Availability

LinuxLink for the MPC8572 is available now, and will be demonstrated together with TimeStorm in the Timesys booth (#946) at the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose, Calif., April 15-17. More information on LinuxLink support for Freescale processors may be available here.

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