NXP has developed four next-generation PowerQUICC™ III processors based on the scalable e500 system-on-chip (SoC) platform and Power Architecture processor core. These PowerQUICC^® III processors, the MPC8548E, MPC8547E, MPC8545E and MP8543E, are designed to deliver gigahertz-plus communications processing performance and advanced features with the exceptional integration and high-speed connectivity required by enterprise networking, telecom transmission and switching, 3G wireless infrastructure, storage and high-end imaging markets.. The processors are designed to offer clock speeds scaling up to 1.5 GHz. They combine the powerful processor core, enhanced peripherals and high-speed interconnect technology to balance processor performance with I/O system throughput.

The next-generation PowerQUICC III processors are based on NXP^®.s 90 nanometer (nm) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) copper interconnect process technology, which enables processors to deliver higher performance with lower power dissipation. At 1.5 GHz, these new processors deliver a significant performance increase over current 130 nm PowerQUICC III devices.

The MPC8548E, MPC8547E, MPC8545E and MP8543/E processors offer a wide range of high-speed connectivity options, including Gigabit Ethernet, Serial RapidIO® technology and PCI Express. Support for these high-speed interfaces enables scalable connectivity to network processors and/or ASICs in the data plane while the PowerQUICC III handles complex, computationally demanding control plane processing tasks. These processors also feature next-generation double data rate (DDRII) memory controller, enhanced, Gigabit Ethernet support, double precision floating point and integrated security engines that support the Kasumi alogrithm needed for 3G wireless security. In addition, support is provided for XOR acceleration needed for parity in storage applications.