NetLogic Microsystems has migrated its NL8256 processor, a member of its fourth-generation knowledge-based processor, to the TSMC 55nm process node. The company claimed that this migration of the company’s fourth generation knowledge-based processor to the 55nm process node enables the NL8256 device to address higher volume, mainstream applications in which the performance and functionality of fourth-generation knowledge-based processing are required.
Reportedly, the migration of NetLogic’s NL8000 knowledge-based processor family to the 55nm process node follows the migration of its NL9000, NL7000 and NETLite processor families to the same process node.
According to the company, in order to support the higher bandwidths of network traffic, and the migration to IPv6, the industry is transitioning to the fourth generation of knowledge-based processors. The company said that its products are capable of achieving a 1.2 billion decisions per second (BDPS), and incorporates clock switching schemes to achieve an aggregate throughput of 40 gigabits per second.
The NL8256 and previously announced NL8512 processors also show enhanced parallel processing performance through a dual-core technology and can parse decisions into up to 64 processing elements, said company. According to the company, this capability to execute multiple parallel decisions during a single core clock cycle, combined with the pipelined synchronous cross-connect bussing scheme, allows customers to deploy 100Gbps ASIC, switches and network processors.
Chris O’Reilly, vice president of marketing at NetLogic Microsystems, said: “We are pleased to have completely migrated all our knowledge-based processor and NETLite processor families to the 55nm node, which provides our customers with numerous benefits in performance, power and costs. Our advanced innovation and history of first silicon successes in advanced manufacturing nodes have allowed us to accelerate the time from development to first revenue shipment.”
According to the company, as converged and multi-service unified IP networks evolve to provide quad-play services (the convergence of voice, video, data and wireless mobility) to end customers and as the next-generation networks migrate from IPv4 to complex IPv6 addressing, original equipment manufacturers are looking to accelerate packet classification and forwarding in their systems. The company said, the NL8000 family’s processing performance addresses these requirements of next-generation networking equipment classification.
