Infineon Technologies says it is now shipping a tri-core microcontroller (MCU) that can run Linux. The TC1130 MCU targets industrial and communications applications, such as programmable logic control (PLC) systems, high-performance motor drive systems, industrial communications devices such as switches, hubs and routers, and consumer applications such as set-top boxes.

According to Infineon, the TC1130 delivers 200MIPS (Millions of Instructions per Second) at the max clock rate of 150 MHz, making it three times more powerful than other currently available MCUs. Like all Infineon TriCore-based microcontrollers, the TC1130 combines the real-time capability of a microcontroller, the math performance a DSP, and the simple programmability of a RISC architecture.

The TC1130 is based on Infineon's TriCore Unified Processor architecture, but adds an on-chip Memory Management Unit (MMU) and Floating Point Unit (FPU), enabling support for both Linux and RTAI Linux for applications requiring hard, deterministic real-time performance.

The TC1130 targets industrial control
The TC1130 includes “well-targeted on-chip peripherals,” the company says, that enable it to connect to both computer networks and traditional industrial control systems. Peripherals include fast Ethernet, four CAN (Controller Area Network) nodes, and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) module.

Other features of the TC1130 include 144 Kbytes of on-chip RAM memory, a 64-bit high-performance Local Memory Bus (LMB) that provides fast access between caches and external memories, and Infineon's Flexible Peripherals Interface bus for enhanced on-chip communications. It is also broadly supported with development and programming tools from leading embedded system suppliers, Infineon says.

“With the TC1130, we respond to customer needs for high-performance on-chip interfaces to support industry standard communications protocols, while providing an excellent performance-to-cost ratio, and the tools needed to quickly bring powerful new systems to market,” noted Frank Grobe, senior manager of marketing for microcontrollers in the automotive & industrial business group at Infineon Technologies AG.

Availability

The TC1130, packaged in a 208-pin Plastic Low-profile Ball Grid Array (P-LBGA), is available now at both 100 and 150 MHz. The chip is specified for an ambient temperature range of -40 degrees C to +85 degrees C. In quantities of 10,000 pieces, it is priced at 12.05 Euro per unit.

Infineon and its distribution partners also provide Starter Kit and Evaluation Board packages to speed system development and test.

---

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.