Transmeta launches small Crusoe TM5700/TM5900 x86-compatible microprocessors

Transmeta has introduced its new Crusoe TM5700 and TM5900 processors today. The new CPUs feature an integrated Northbridge, and are available in small 21mmx21mm package to enable smaller form factors for x86-compatible, energy efficient mobile and embedded computing.

The small footprint of the Transmeta Crusoe TM5700/TM5900 processors make it ideal for applications that require high performance processing within small and thermally constrained environments, including thin clients, blade servers, printers, copiers, point-of-sale terminals, smart displays, portable consumer devices, ultra-personal computers (UPCs) and set-top boxes. "The Crusoe TM5700/TM5900 processors are another significant step in advancing the cause of efficient computing," said Dr. Matthew R. Perry, president and CEO of Transmeta. "By delivering a solution that is 50 percent smaller than our existing Crusoe TM5800 processors, Transmeta allows system designers to further leverage the high performance and low-heat dissipation characteristics of Transmeta's proven hardware and software architecture for a wide range of new smaller form factor, fan-less designs." The TM5700 and TM5900 processors are a continuation of the Crusoe product line and provide the established low-power and high-performance characteristics of Crusoe's highly efficient 128-bit VLIW (very long instruction word) engine, which issues up to 4 instructions per clock cycle. The Crusoe architecture includes fully integrated on-chip Northbridge core logic, reducing chip count and power requirements and decreasing the size and cost of the PC board. The new processors offer up to 1 GHz of x86-compatible performance and incorporate integer and floating-point execution units, separate 64 Kbyte instruction and data caches, a large 512 Kbyte (TM5900) or 256 Kbyte (TM5700) L2 write-back cache, a 64-bit DDR SDRAM memory controller, and a 32-bit PCI controller. Transmeta's LongRun® power management technology further reduces thermal constraints by dynamically adjusting the operating voltage and clock frequency of the processor core based on application demands and intelligently adapting processor operation to system thermal environments. Additionally, a small form factor Mini-ITX motherboard evaluation/reference platform based upon the TM5900 processor will be available in Q1 2004. This high-performance, low-power platform comes with schematics, design guides, processor specifications, device drivers and all other requirements for evaluation and initiating product designs. The Crusoe microprocessor family is an exceptional solution for developers of today's high-performance, x86-compatible systems and an excellent performance upgrade path for systems developed using lower-end SOC embedded technology.

The TM5700 and TM5900 processors have already begun sampling, and will be very soon available.