Intel intros specialized Atom for cars and other devices, outsources some Atom manufacturing
By Donald Melanson 
posted Mar 3rd 2009 8:31PM
posted Mar 3rd 2009 8:31PM
We've already seen the Atom used in a few somewhat surprising places, but Intel now looks to really be making an earnest push to expand its base, with it introducing four new specialized Atom processors (and two new system controllers to go along with 'em) that it hopes will find their way into in-car devices, internet phones, and a whole host of industrial-strength applications. Relying on the same 45nm manufacturing process, the new Atom Z5xx series processors expectedly aren't too radically different from the average Atom, with them clocking in between 1.1GHz and 1.6GHz, and boasting a TDP rating of 2.0 or 2.2 watts, although they do have some "embedded lifecycle support" thrown in for good measure. In related news, Intel has also announced that it'll be outsourcing "some" Atom manufacturing to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (or TSMC), which apparently marks the first time that Intel has licensed its CPU core to a foundry.
Read - Press Release, "New Specialized Intel Atom Processor Targets Cars, Internet Phones"
Read - Physorg / AP, "Intel outsourcing some Atom manufacturing to TSMC"
Read - Press Release, "New Specialized Intel Atom Processor Targets Cars, Internet Phones"
Read - Physorg / AP, "Intel outsourcing some Atom manufacturing to TSMC"
Erst?
eail ?
Anyone want to bet how long it'll take some random, no-name, Chinese CPU firm to "develop" with a 2W TPD, 1.6GHz, dual-core chip? It'll be named "Flying Dragon Win" or something like that, and will cost 32 cents.
Bad move Intel.
"Flying Dragon Win"
Best.Band Name.Ever
please do not make insults on things you do not know and show respect
TSMC is "the world's largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSMC
You do realize TSMC does work for ATI, AMD, Nvidia, and Via. Yet you don't see knock-off video cards running around everywhere.
Wake me when two 8-core Intel Core i7 CPUs are doing the processing in my car.
Sorry folks. Didn't realize there were so many TSMC employees in the room. And anyways, wasn't making fun of TSMC as much as I was about the Chinese knock-off mill that has worked its magic on just about every product under the sun.
Get some cream for your smarting Va-J-J.
I hate it when ppl still associate taiwanese products with mainland knockoffs. maybe you shouldn't get taiwanese brands such as Acer, Asus, or HTC anymore. Even if you go for american brands you will still get MIT components..too bad.
Still falls way short from ARM Cortex A9 which uses 222mW @ 608Mhz or the dual core chip version which uses 444mW @ 608Mhz total.
Adobe and ARM are also porting full version of Flash for the ARM architecture. Dual Core A9 should have the same amount of power available as Intel Atom or possibly more, but with 0.44W vs 2W Intel seems quite far behind in the race.
Hope ARM notebooks will be available soon. Idle power use with ARM chips is also way better. Nokia N810 which uses an older ARM Core can last over 5 days in standby with its small battery.
http://www.jp.arm.com/event/pdf/forum2007/t1-2.pdf
The ARM platform is an entirely different architecture, market, and approach. Stop comparing an x86 in-order executing processor to the RISC ARM.
Thanks.
Power comsuption in this particular case is not an issue, at least not as important as it is on netbooks.
In the paper things are simple: i386 "more popular" architecture and the increase in performance against ARM's mobile expertice, but with netbooks, MIDs and god only knows how many other possible applications that make the line between desktop and mobile computing more blurry, it's hard to tell who will ultimately "win"... if that's ever going to happen.
I agree but don't forget about the Intel Atom Z500 (800MHz, 0.65 W) compatible with the x86.
@Dreadwock
Googled about the Z500 and found this:
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2008/0605/kaigai_6.pdf
If the slides are objective and can be trusted then ARM crushes Intel.
Hope Intel can make a better chip than the Z500 since more competition to ARM means lower prices to customers.
It's about time automobiles get some lovin' ...from big brother Intel. Now does this mean I get as twice as more warnings and naggings now at the dual core processing speed?
No it means that now in order to go past 80 you need to overclock your drive train and cool the engine with liquid nitrogen.
Interesting. I'm more curious about thouse new system controllers.
Intel the Almighty, plz unleash the HD video playback Mota!!
What's wrong with ION? :P
You mean the Poulsbo chipsets? The Z5xx and Poulsbo are already being used out there in the VAIO P and Dell Mini 12.
@nerdtalker
Different architecture yes but they are targeting also the netbook & MID market in addition to cellphones.
I think they can be compared when talking about the netbook & embedded devices market. x86 is outdated. If Intel doens't make significant changes and optimizations to Atom and Linux becomes more common and popular since XP doesn't run on ARM, Intel will have no chance.
@Eleazar
Yeah I forgot to clarify I was talking about netbooks in particular, not automobile specific applications. My comment was mildly off-topic since this article is about specialized uses instead of netbooks.
Excuse my several personalities but seems I already had an account I didn't remember on this email address under the name "ssc" and when I posted using the password provided by Engadget, it fetched the username and used it instead of "Ernest"
Intel is just wasting time with this. No one cares about x86 except on computers intended to run Windows. ARM and even PPC have a very strong presence in the embedded market already, and shipments of processors based on either those architectures likely outnumbers x86 shipments. Pushing a crappy outdated platform, that only continues to exist because of Microsoft's dominance in the PC market, onto all sorts of electronic devices that don't run and aren't expected to run Windows is not going to work. It's just a futile waste of time and money and if Intel continues on the path it's going, it will just die a slow, painful death.
N270 vs Z530
1.6ghz - 1.6ghz
533fsb - 533fsb
512kb - 512kb
2.5w - 2.0w
Size:
N270 - 22mm x 22mm
Z530 - 13mm x 14mm
Small Chip.....
The big thing about this release is the PT series, or Melow XL. You are getting temp ranges from -40 to 85C, that opens Intel up to compete in a lot of industrial markets that in the past they haven't been in. Having it on their embedded roadmap doesn't hurt either.
did anyone think that Intel just wants to bring prices even lower in the low end atom pc's?
Netcar?
Quick! Trademark the name before Psion... auh, too late :-(
ohhkaay...what will they exactly be doing under the hood of my car ?
Tracking your every move and uploading it to facebook and twitter where it (your privacy) will be sold to unscrupulous corporates looking for an edge
oh and isn't onstar creepy they can hear you....
"Embedded lifecycle support"...Euphamism for forced planned obsolescence? i.e. it just stops working some day?
Will this be embedded in the eeeengine?
Always wanted an atom-ic power car! heh heh!