Embedded - Microprocessors

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
AM3894CCYGA120 Texas Instruments	IC MPU SITARA 1.2GHZ 1031FCBGA	19
P4040NSN7PNAC Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors)	QORIQ, 32-BIT POWER ARCH SOC, 4	168
R7S721000VCFP#AA1 Renesas Electronics America	IC MCU 32BIT ROMLESS 256LQFP	0
MCIMX6QP5EYM1AA NXP Semiconductors	IC MPU I.MX6QP 1GHZ 624FCBGA	124
MPC8572VTAVNE557 Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors)	POWERQUICC RISC MICROPROCESSOR	0
Z84C0020FEG Zilog / Littelfuse	MPU, 8-BIT, 20MHZ, CMOS, PQFP44	108
EP9301-CQZR Cirrus Logic	IC MPU EP9 166MHZ 208LQFP	0
MPC8358EZQAGDDA Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors)	POWERQUICC RISC MICROPROCESSOR,	91
FC80960HD80 Intel	RISC MPU, 32-BIT, 80MHZ PQFP208	1191
P1013NXE2LFB Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors)	QORIQ, 32 BIT POWER ARCH SOC, 1G	41
AM3715CBC Texas Instruments	IC MPU SITARA 800MHZ 515FCBGA	0
MPC8321ECZQADDC Flip Electronics	RISC MICROPROCESSOR, 32-BIT, 266	0
OMAP3530DCBCA Texas Instruments	32-BIT, 600MHZ, CMOS, PBGA515	12
MCIMX6Y2DVM09AB NXP Semiconductors	I.MX6ULL ROM PERF ENHAN	0
T2080NSN8TTB NXP Semiconductors	QORIQ 64B POWER ARCH 8X 1.8GHZ	14
MPC8315EVRAFDA Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors)	POWERQUICC 32 BIT POWER ARCH SOC	3824
MC68HC000IEI16 Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors)	MICROPROCESSOR, 32 BIT, MC68000	1111
MCIMX257DVM4 Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors)	MICROPROCESSOR, CMOS, PBGA400	5040
25PPC750CXEFP4012T	IBM25PPC750 - POWERPC 750CX	1068
ATSAMA5D41B-CU Roving Networks / Microchip Technology	BGA GREEN, IND TEMP,MRLB	89

Embedded - Microprocessors

1. Overview

Embedded microprocessors are specialized computing units designed for dedicated control, monitoring, or processing tasks within electronic systems. Unlike general-purpose CPUs, they integrate processing cores, memory interfaces, and peripheral controllers into a single chip (SoC) to optimize performance, power efficiency, and cost for specific applications. These devices form the backbone of modern IoT, automotive systems, industrial automation, and consumer electronics.

2. Main Types and Functional Classification

Type	Functional Characteristics	Application Examples
ARM Cortex-M Series	Low-power 32-bit cores with real-time capabilities, optional DSP extensions	Smart sensors, wearables, motor control
PowerPC	High reliability, floating-point units, automotive/Aerospace focused	Vehicle ECUs, avionics systems
MIPS	Efficient pipelining, 32/64-bit variants for multimedia processing	Networking equipment, set-top boxes
RISC-V	Open instruction set, modular architecture for customization	AI accelerators, edge computing devices
x86 (Embedded)	PC compatibility, high processing power with integrated GPUs	Industrial PCs, medical imaging equipment

3. Architecture and Components

A typical embedded microprocessor contains:

Processing Core(s): RISC/Complex Instruction Set architectures with 1-8 cores
Memory Subsystem: Integrated SRAM, ROM, and external DRAM controllers
Peripheral Interfaces: UART, SPI, I2C, USB, CAN, PCIe, Ethernet MAC
Real-Time Components: Watchdog timers, PWM generators, ADC/DAC modules
Power Management: Multiple sleep modes, DVFS (Dynamic Voltage/Frequency Scaling)

4. Key Technical Specifications

Parameter	Description	Importance
Clock Frequency	Operating speed (10MHz-6GHz)	Determines processing throughput
Instruction Set	RISC vs CISC architecture	Affects code density and power consumption
TDP (Thermal Design Power)	Power consumption under load (100mW-50W)	Dictates thermal management requirements
Process Node	Manufacturing technology (28nm-5nm)	Impacts performance and energy efficiency
Memory Bandwidth	Data transfer rate between core and memory	Limits performance in data-intensive tasks

5. Application Domains

Consumer Electronics: Smartphones (application processors), home appliances
Automotive: ADAS controllers, engine management systems
Industrial: PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), robotics
Healthcare: MRI scanners, portable diagnostic devices
Communications: 5G base stations, optical network transceivers

6. Leading Manufacturers and Products

Manufacturer	Representative Product	Key Features
ARM Holdings	Cortex-A78	128-bit NEON engine, 4nm process, 3.0GHz
Intel	Atom x6425E	Quad-core, 12W TDP, integrated Intel HD Graphics
NXP Semiconductors	i.MX 8M Plus	1.8GHz Cortex-A53, NPU for ML acceleration
Microchip	SAM9X60	32-bit ARM926EJ-S, 120MHz, ECC memory support
Qualcomm	QCS610	Hexagon DSP, Adreno GPU, AI Engine for computer vision

7. Selection Guidelines

Key considerations include:

Performance requirements vs power budget (e.g., Cortex-M55 for ultra-low-power AI)
Real-time constraints (deterministic latency for motor control applications)
Peripheral integration (CAN FD for automotive networks)
Software ecosystem (RTOS support, middleware availability)
Longevity and supply chain stability (automotive-grade qualification)

Case Study: A smart thermostat design selected NXP's MCIMX7U5 (Cortex-M4 + Cortex-A7) for its combination of real-time sensor processing and application-layer connectivity.

8. Industry Trends

Emerging directions include:

AI integration: On-chip neural processing units (NPUs) for edge ML inference
Heterogeneous computing: Multi-architecture SoCs (RISC-V + GPU + NPU)
Advanced packaging: 3D-stacked memory integration for bandwidth-intensive applications
Functional safety: ISO 26262 compliance for autonomous vehicle systems
Open ecosystems: Growth of RISC-V adoption in custom ASIC designs