Motorola Enables Custom Microprocessors

Bob Ryan

Motorola has announced an ambitious program to better serve the needs of the 32-bit embedded-microprocessor market. Called FlexCore, the program enables third-party manufacturers to incorporate standard Motorola microprocessor cores into custom designs. Using standard cell technology, third parties design their custom logic around a Motorola core and then hand off the design to Motorola for fabrication.

According to Jim Reinhardt, manager of M68000 Family Marketing and Applications, "Any one company with the expertise to design an ASIC can take advantage of FlexCore." According to Motorola, the benefits of FlexCore are substantial. By integrating the microprocessor with the custom logic, third parties require fewer parts, less power, less area, and fewer inter connects to realize their designs. This, in turn, results in lower costs and higher reliability.

Companies will be able to take advantage of FlexCore in two ways. One group will marry a Motorola core with custom logic to create a custom solution that provides a company with a competitive solution. SunDisk (Santa Clara, CA), the flash storage maker, will use FlexCore in its controllers.

Another group will use FlexCore and custom logic in mass-market chips. In some cases, Motorola may form partnerships with such companies to market the resultant chip. This is the tack taken by Peerless Systems (El Segundo, CA), which has married a static EC000 core with its imaging technology to create a single-chip laser printer controller, the 68322.

In addition to disk and printer controllers, Motorola expects FlexCore to enable new, more cost-effective communications devices, hand-held computers, set-top boxes, and video-game controllers.

Motorola currently offers two 68000-based cores for FlexCo re, the 68000-based EC000 and a static 68020 core. A 68030 core is expected this year, followed by a 68040 core in mid-1995. Late 1995 will bring a PowerPC core and one based on the newly announced 68060. The 68060 is the end of the line for the 680x0 architecture in desktop systems, but FlexCore ensures it will prosper in embedded applications.