Motorola unveiled a new system-on-chip processor for imaging applications today, aimed at the highly cost-sensitive “100 million unit per year” printer/copier market. The MPC8220i is based on a dual-processor design that combines a PowerPC 603 microprocessor core along with a PF300 image coprocessor that accelerates color and monochrome imaging processing. According to Motorola, the resulting increased performance provides higher page rates, especially when operating on large raster-images such as digital photographs, scanned images, and graphic intensive web pages.

In addition to its on-chip PowerPC processor and image coprocessor, the MPC8220i also includes an “integrated video port,” dual 10/100 Ethernet controllers, USB 2.0 full-speed host and device ports, IEEE 1284 parallel port, and a serial port that supports Fast IrDA and AC'97, the company said. Other key features include a PCI expansion bus, memory controller for single and double data rate SDRAM, and power management (including wake-up functions). The PF300 image coprocessor and integrated video port were developed by WaveMark, a subsidiary of Motorola since 2000.

MPC8220i Printer Controller reference board

Motorola is supporting designs based on the MPC8220i with a PowerPC MPC8220i Printer Controller Reference Design and Development Platform (from WaveMark), combined with a full suite of development tools for the MPC8220i. The reference design kit includes Board Support Packages (BSPs) for both Linux and VxWorks, and a “fully functional” printer controller with documentation, the company said, and additional development tools and support is available from Motorola's Metrowerks tools subsidiary as well as from independent third party suppliers.

Chip samples will be available in the third quarter of 2003, and the chips will be priced at around $25 each in 10,000 unit companies, Motorola said.

 
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