Intel’s Atom-based Tunnel Creek SOC with integrated PCIe interface opens new era for embedded developers

By _Cadence - Denali Memory Report

April 21, 2010

One of the most ignored Intel announcements of recent memory must be Doug Davis’ early disclosure at IDF (China) on April 14 (see the hour-long keynote video here) of the company’s new Atom-based Tunnel Creek, an SOC specifically designed for embedded applications. Intel’s Atom processor, a relatively low-powered implementation of the “Intel Architecture,” has been taking the low-end notebook and netbook world by storm. Atom processors also work well and have been rapidly adopted in the embedded world when the embedded product’s block-diagram resembles a PC. However, smaller embedded systems can’t adopt the multichip, chipset-style design of PCs. Many smaller embedded systems require even fewer chips for cost-effective implementation.