Freescale applies 'big-little' to i.MX chips

LONDON – Freescale Semiconductor Inc. has announced it has licensed the recently announced Cortex-A7 core from ARM Holdings plc and plans to use it, alongside the previously licensed Cortex-A15 to expand its range of i.MX application processors.

The announcement is significant as it will likely see the "big-little" flexible power-processing scheme applied in such areas as automotive and embedded applications. The technique was launched by ARM with particular reference to mobile phones and tablet computers.

Freescale plans to incorporate ARM Cortex-A7 and Cortex-A15 processors in single-core and multicore i.MX devices for embedded, automotive infotainment and smart mobile device applications. Freescale said it would produce pin- and software compatible versions of i.MX processors.

"The high-performance Cortex-A15 processor and ultra-efficient Cortex-A7 processor will play a key role in delivering the 'just-right' blend of performance, power consumption and price our customers have come to expect from the i.MX portfolio," said Bernd Lienhard, vice president and general manager of Freescale's multimedia applications division, in a statement.


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