The Digital Semiconductor Inc arm of Digital Equipment Corp is bringing peripheral devices designed for the PCI bus to the StrongARM processor with a a new core logic chip set for use with its StrongARM versions of Advanced RISC Machines Ltd’s ARM RISC. The 21285 core logic chip set is specifically designed to work with the StrongARM 110 processor and is the first to support the faster PCI bus where StrongARM chip sets currently support only the VL-Bus. The 21285 chip set provides a PCI bridge between the memory interface and the host CPU and off-loads input-output processing from the StrongARM to free it for higher data throughput. The 21285 integrates synchronous DRAM interface for high data rates, Flash ROM interface for device initialization, direct memory access and interrupt controllers, programmable timers, intelligent input-output message unit, parallel and serial ports, and a PCI bus arbiter. It also supplies the four clocks and chip selects for the synchronous memory chips. DEC believes the chip set will be welcomed by designers of Personal Digital Assistants, smart phones and personal organizers, scaled- down Internet terminals, Web televisions and all manner of embedded applications such as internetworking, office automation, storage control, telecommunications and personal computer add-in devices. Sampling from early May, the set should appear in applications from the third quarter. It will cost $19.50 when you have the confidence to make a $195,000 commitment and order 10,000 or more.
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