Freescale Brings 8-bit Ease-of-Use to 32-bit Processing; New ColdFire(R) V1 Core to Power Industry's First 8-bit-Compatible 32-bit Microcontrollers.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- As performance and memory requirements increase in consumer, medical, industrial and motor control applications, designers are hitting the ceiling of 8-bit performance. The new ColdFire(R) V1 core from Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE:FSL) (NYSE:FSL.B) is designed to provide 32-bit performance with the ease-of-use of an 8-bit microcontroller at a price point that won't give traditional 8-bit designers sticker shock.

The 68K/ColdFire V1 core will provide the engine for the industry's first 32-bit devices that are compatible with 8-bit -- allowing easy migration between architectures. Products based on the V1 core will use the same peripheral modules and development tools as products based on the S08 architecture, providing upward compatibility and simplifying application design.

"The 68K/ColdFire V1 core is Freescale's next step in delivering the Controller Continuum, our roadmap for 8-bit and 32-bit product compatibility that will give designers the ability to move effortlessly between 8-bit and 32-bit microcontrollers," said Mike McCourt, vice president and general manager of Freescale's Microcontroller Division. "Our next-generation products based on the V1 core will provide 32-bit performance with 8-bit ease-of-use at 16-bit prices."

"The introduction of the V1 core represents a significant step to bridge the gap between 8- and 32-bit microcontroller applications," said Rob Lineback, senior market analyst, IC Insights. "Providing a common set of development tools and integrated peripherals, along with pin-compatible packages, is crucial. Freescale appears to be on track with its efforts to join the 8- and 32-bit MCU worlds."

Ultimate Balance between Price and Performance

Freescale has a rich peripheral portfolio, built on 30 years of microcontroller expertise. The 68K/ColdFire V1 core will leverage this legacy to enable new application features and capabilities. Freescale's 68K/ColdFire V1 core and 8-bit S08 architecture will share a common set of tools, starting with the CodeWarrior(R) 6.0 development studio. The CodeWarrior tool set makes programming the 32-bit 68K/ColdFire architecture as simple and straightforward as programming an 8-bit microcontroller.

Early supporters of the 68K/ColdFire V1 core include Opto 22, a provider of hardware and software products for applications in industrial automation and remote monitoring.

"Opto 22 has a long history of using Freescale microcontrollers and microprocessors in our most successful products," said Matt Chang, engineering manager, Opto 22. "Freescale has continued to deliver the innovative architectures, features, tools and performance we need in a timely and efficient manner. The introduction of the V1 core will allow us to use both 8- and 32-bit technology in a formerly 8-bit-only space, without the development discontinuities imposed by multiple architectures."

The 68K/ColdFire V1 core is designed to deliver increased system utilization, resulting in the lowest power consumption of any 68K/ColdFire products to date, while offering more processing performance than 8-bit microcontrollers. This new low-voltage/low-power technology allows the V1 core to achieve aggressive stop/run currents.

The full set of ColdFire architecture registers are built into the 68K/ColdFire V1 core, and it supports the same programming model as the 68K/ColdFire V2-V4 cores. The V1 core uses the S08 bus structure, which enables the use of similar peripheral and memory modules. For package pin compatibility, the V1 uses the S08's single-pin background debug mode to create simple interface configuration.

Pricing and Availability

Freescale intends to introduce multiple products based on the 68K/ColdFire V1 core throughout 2007. Freescale anticipates products based on the V1 core will be priced within approximately 20 percent of our 8-bit products with comparable features. For more information about the V1 core, visit http://www.freescale.com/files/pr/V1coldfire.html.

About the Controller Continuum

Introduced in 1Q06, Freescale's Controller Continuum for consumer and industrial applications features an 8- to 32-bit roadmap with pin-for-pin compatible devices that will share common peripherals and development tools. With the recent introduction of the RS08KA family, Freescale provided an ultra-low-end entry point to the Controller Continuum, and ColdFire product introductions continue to increase access to 32-bit performance.

About Freescale Semiconductor

Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NYSE:FSL) (NYSE:FSL.B) is a global leader in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for the automotive, consumer, industrial, networking and wireless markets. Freescale became a publicly traded company in July 2004. The company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing or sales operations in more than 30 countries. Freescale, a member of the S&P 500(R), is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies with 2005 sales of $5.8 billion (USD). www.freescale.com.

Freescale Technology Forum

The Freescale Technology Forum (FTF) is fast becoming the embedded semiconductor industry's premier developer conference. A global program, FTF events feature visionary keynote speakers, in-depth technical training, and interactive demonstrations from Freescale and leading hardware, software and tools providers. Attendees can explore the V1 core at the Orlando forum in a session titled "Overview of the Industry's First 8- to 32-bit Compatible Architectures." For detailed information about FTF events around the world, please go to www.freescale.com/ftf.

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