NXP completes deal to buy Freescale and create top auto chipmaker


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(..) A second product category will be multimedia processors that can allow NXP to expand its strong position in audio information systems into other areas of infotainment including video display dashboards

PowerPC based?

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@Fransexy

why should it?

@OlafS25

Because NXP's roots are in Phillips, a former Motorola Semi Licensee, and their product lines mesh well?
Because Freescale has manufacturing capacity (which is something even IBM no longer has)?

Because it isn't a Chinese or Abu Dhabian held company.

Because they had some spare change? et al

Any other stupid questions?

Last edited by iggy on 08-Dec-2015 at 10:29 PM.

@iggy

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iggy wrote: @OlafS25 Because NXP's roots are in Phillips, a former Motorola Semi Licensee, and their product lines mesh well?

The only thing possibly relevant in your response. But not really.

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Because Freescale has manufacturing capacity (which is something IBM no longer has)?

Not at all relevant to the question. IBM isn't involved in the deal.

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Because it isn't a Chinese or Abu Dhabian held company.

And what the f**k have that to do with this?!?

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Because they had some spare change? et al

... More irrelevant crap.

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Any other stupid questions?

Can't get any more stupid than your responses.

@megol

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Can't get any more stupid than your responses.

Ditto dude.
You really are clueless about those references, that's just sad.

@iggy

Pretty sure Olaf was asking why NXP should base future projects PowerPC.

@Rob

Yes I was...

when a ARM based company buys another company that supports ARM and another exotic processor guess what happens with the exotic processor

But perhaps Iggy has another idea

@OlafS25

nxp will do what customers demand. And there is still some ppc demand.
That said I wouldn't bet all my money on ppc future, but it's not dead (yet).

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Quote:

Zylesea wrote: That said I wouldn't bet all my money on ppc future, but it's not dead (yet).

Just pull the string and let it die...

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@OlafS25

Since I have an account and get support (which, again, started in the mid '80s) I actually do.
They are likely to continue to use the e200 and e6500 cores in new products for a few years, the e5500 is probably a dead end, and the e500 doesn't seem to be too healthy either.
They aren't likely to develop new PPC cores.
BUT as they still have some 68K family parts in stock, even after the new designs disappear stock on the more popular ICs should be available for about ten years.

When you can milk the embedded industry and the military over a dwindling supply of proprietary parts (like they did with the 68K)...

And do you realize they still make money licensing old cores?
That's revenue without research that NXP can acquire with this merger.

And they really DO have complementary lines (both headed toward primarily ARM based SoCs).

Which bring us right back to...you are quite right about ARM (which Freescale can manufacture in its own foundries).
Yes, PPC is a dead issue.
I never argued that it was not (except that we haven't outgrown this nor are we even ready to support X64).

Both companies share past and future focuses.
THAT is why this matters.
It makes them a little stronger.

Then again, either way, I know I have to move back to Intel , its a little like finding out Darth Vader is your father.
So frog it, why get so overwrought, eh?

My apologies.

Last edited by iggy on 09-Dec-2015 at 12:57 AM.
Last edited by iggy on 09-Dec-2015 at 12:55 AM.

@iggy

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iggy wrote: Which bring us right back to...you are quite right about ARM (which Freescale can manufacture in its own foundries).

Which productive process is actually supporting Freescale? Is there any roadmap for future productive processes?

The healthiness of a foundry is measured by such things, and honestly it's very long time that I hear no news of Freescale for that.

In fact, currently the players are Intel, Samsung, TSMC and GlobalFoundries. There others, like Freescale, but they are out of the race for the best productive process.

@ALL

12Billion dollars worth of business - even if PPC was 10% and 68x000 was 10% that's 2.4 Billion

If the product lines are turning over more than a million dollars a year in profit, I doubt they would sneeze and close down a product line that's making money.

Would you reject a million in profit - seriously. Your Grandma and Grandpa love you but not if you sneeze in their face.

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@Zylesea

"That said I wouldn't bet all my money on ppc future, but it's not dead (yet)."

+1

Odds are against PPC success, that's why one should bet a little on it.
Currently, PPC is "good to use" if nice SoC is needed for custom hobby motherboards.


UPDATE: https://community.freescale.com/docs/DOC-328531 (LayerScape roadmap update)
(very little or no "Power", "Transition to ARM Processors" etc...)

In page3 they show Power and ARM are handled in equal way.
But after going through the material... marketing is pushing ARM 100%.
Power is still more powerfull, but they seem to belittle it. To me it tells they will focus in ARM, they mention Power "just" to keep existing Power architecture customers calm?
But let's see.

Last edited by KimmoK on 09-Dec-2015 at 09:12 AM.
Last edited by KimmoK on 09-Dec-2015 at 09:03 AM.

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@Fransexy

"to expand its strong position in audio information systems into other areas of infotainment including video display dashboards"

Current ARM offerings are better SoCs for audio info systems & infotainment.
PPC SoC need better GFX and Audio onboard to be compareable.
(I doubt NXP plans to use RadeonHD in info kiosk systems)

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@Zylesea

I did not write they stop production of existing cores as long production is profitable. But they will not invest in new developments. That is what i would do if I would be the new owner and not care about "heritage". Heritage is a category for retro people not for business people.

@meet.mrnrg

some seem not to understand how those kind of people think... they hope synergy and to get additional markets and products they not have. Synergy means common products are only developed one time instead of two times and that saves money. Also they look what is profitable. If production of PPC based products/processors is more profitable than dropping it and only concentrate on ARM then they will keep it at least for some time. Also strategical decisions in management might play a role. Nobody here could know that. My bet is that production of PPC at least continues for some time, no investment in new cores and no new products based on PPC.

@iggy

that sounds more reasonable than your first emotional reaction...

Yes I agree they will continue production for some time as long as it is more profitable than dropping it. Freescale has stopped to exist now by being taken over, decisions are done by the new owners whatever people at Freescale might think or not. For the new owners heritage or roots are certainly no category but profit. Production of PPC yes but no new products and no development of new cores for sure.

And I can assure you even on the dark side life continues

Last edited by OlafS25 on 09-Dec-2015 at 09:39 AM.
Last edited by OlafS25 on 09-Dec-2015 at 09:18 AM.

@cdimauro

Freescale is on 28 nm currently... So 2-3 nodes away from the best of the industry. Don't know their future plans, however, going past planar 20-22 nm is going to be really expensive for their volume - NXP might help drive volume sufficiently and, who knows - maybe they get IBM's business (rumors that Mubadala wants to divest Global Foundries who now own ex IBM foundries)

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@Fransexy

I came to work yesterday and continued (from the day before) discussing processor choices with a colleague. Started clicking on links and quickly noticed the name change.

No content change, though.

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@OlafS25

The thing is, why would NXP buy Freescale for their ARM licence when they already have one? That doesn't add any value.

On the other hand, Freescale at least TRY to put sensible peripherals like PCIe/SATA/GbE on ARM, all the others seem to be still at the handheld device stage.

Allthough again, there's a LOT of differences between a T10xx and an LS10xxA, performance wise. They're just not there yet. And when you factor in the upgrade path to T2081, the LS-A has a bit of a way to go. Been a while since I discussed it with their distributors, though.

Edit:
Comparison right now: LS2080A, $210, 8 A57 cores at 1.6GHz, dual channel 2100MT/s memory, SATA3, 1292 pins. T2080, $144, 4 dual-threaded e6600 cores at 1.8GHz, single channel 2100MT/s memory, SATA2, 896 pins.

I have a hard time seeing how the LS2080A would in any way beat the socks off the T2080, but I guess the extra memory bandwidth and the bigger caches help. That's what you pay extra for, though.

I feel that comparing the lower end of the range is not fair, as there's not much overlap in feature sets between the families yet.

Last edited by olegil on 09-Dec-2015 at 12:29 PM.

_________________
This weeks pet peeve:
Using "voltage" instead of "potential", which leads to inventing new words like "amperage" instead of "current" (I, measured in A) or possible "charge" (amperehours, Ah or Coulomb, C). Sometimes I don't even know what people mean.