News and New Products

Communications processor padlocks data

By Maury Wright -- EDN, 10/16/2003

Motorola a decade ago pioneered the concept of the communications processor with the advent of the 68k-based QUICC (quad integrated communications controller), and that family of products now includes models based on the faster Power PC core. To date, however, system designers using the PowerQUICC family had to rely on either software or a separate IC to implement security protocols. Perhaps you could in the past have thought of security as an add-on, but in today’s connected badlands, data security is paramount. So, Motorola is spinning a new family of PowerQUICC devices with an integrated on-chip security processor.

The chip designers turned to a security core that Motorola proved in its S1 family of security chips for integration into the PowerQUICC family. The core supports IPSec (IP Security), SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), and other security protocols. The security features are available in both the MPC885 PowerQUICC 1 family with processor speeds of 66 to 120 MHz and in the MPC8272 PowerQUICC family with processor speeds of 266 to 400 MHz. The new security-enabled ICs sell for $8.30 to $31.64 (10,000).

The range of performance in the PowerQUICC family allows the new processors to serve in applications ranging from home gateways and wireless-access points to enterprise routers, all of which these days demand security as a standard feature. By integrating the security feature, Motorola ensures the lowest possible bill of material in cost-sensitve applications, such as home-office products. Meanwhile, the integrated approach accelerates the throughput of encrypted data and eliminates encryption bottlenecks, thus offering the performance the enterprise requires.

Motorola, 1-800-521-6274, www.motorola.com/sps.