NetLogic XLP316 multi-core processor to boost LTE performance

Californian semiconductor firm NetLogic Microsystems on Monday unveiled the XLP316 microprocessor; a chip it claims will radically improve aspects of LTE performance.

The XLP316 sports a quad-core design, with a 16-issue, 16-threaded, superscalar architecture and operates at up to 2GHz with 4MB of Level 3 cache. The XLP316 processor also incorporates one channel of 72-bit DDR3 that yields over 100Gbps of off-chip memory bandwidth.

NetLogic claims that the XLP316 offers an improvement in control-place processing by up to 400 per cent over previous generation chips, which will help to address the increasing demands for control-plane processing within networks.

Control-place processing is crucial where there are frequent bursts of data traffic on the network, and these are increasing exponentially as users consume data on smartphones and tablets. The use of always on mobile broadband applications and the move from IPv4 to IPv6 is also likely to create additional strain on control-plane processing.

Netlogic said that the chip is supported by a software development kit (SDK) that contains reference and production-ready software components, which it said would enable customers to accelerate time-to-market.

“Having the industry’s only quad-issue, quad-threaded communications processor family with on-chip L3 cache gives us an enormous competitive advantage to address the most demanding control-plane processing requirements,” said Chris O’Reilly, vice president of marketing at NetLogic Microsystems, in a statement. “The combination of the superior and highly optimized architecture along with the advanced 40nm process gives us further advantage in delivering the lowest power profile to meet our customers’ stringent requirements.”

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