Broadcom has begun sampling its 28nm XLP 200-Series network processor for enterprise, service provider 4G/LTE, data center, cloud computing and software defined networking (SDN) equipment. The processor family, which is the world’s first 28nm multicore communications processor family, promises up to 400 percent faster performance than competing solutions while lowering power consumption by up to 60 percent.
Broadcom said the product launch demonstrates its successful integration of NetLogic Microsystems, which developed the XLP processors.
The new processors combine quad issue, quad threading and 2 GHz out-of-order execution capabilities with integrated networking and security acceleration. The XLP 200-Series is the first to integrate a grammar processing engine, a fourth generation regular expression (RegEx) engine, and a broad range of autonomous encryption and authentication processing engines to deliver comprehensive Layer 7 deep-packet inspection (DPI) capabilities and complete offload of the compute-intensive security functions from the CPU cores.
Some key capabilities
- Quad-issue, quad-threading and out-of-order execution
- Total Security Acceleration Technology: High performance grammar processing, DPI/RegEx engine, encryption/decryption and authentication
- Autonomous Acceleration Engine Modules: Offloads processing tasks, freeing up the cores to perform other compute-intensive application dependent tasks
- Hardware Acceleration for packet ordering, network management, compression/decompression and RAID5/6 storage, etc.
- Processor Core Enhancements for improved pre-fetch performance and branch mis-predict penalties
- Processor Cache Architecture: MOESI+ coherent, three-level cache architecture and shared 16-way set associative Layer 3 cache
- Memory Subsystem: On-chip DDR3 memory controller; configurable channel width (40 or 72 bits)
- Fast Messaging Network System: Low-latency, high-speed system allows non-intrusive internal communication and control messaging among NXCPUs, acceleration engines and input/output
- Software Development Kit (SDK): Comprehensive SDK with reference and production-ready software components accelerates time-to-market
http://www.broadcom.com
- In September 2011, NetLogic first unveiled its XLP II family of processors based on 28nm process technology, packing up to 80 high-performance NXCPUs per chip, and promising 5-7x performance enhancement over the existing XLP processors. NetLogic said its XLP II processor family is designed to deliver over 100 Gbps of network processing performance per device and over 800 Gbps in a clustered, fully-coherent system. The devices integrate up to 80 high-performance NXCPUs per chip, featuring an enhanced quad-issue, quad-threaded, superscalar out-of-order processor architecture capable of operating at up to 2.5 GHz to provide unmatched control and data plane processing and low-power profile.
NetLogic is adding innovations that improve pre-fetch performance, branch mis-predict penalties and cache access latencies. The family also significantly expands the tri-level cache architecture to over 32MB of fully coherent on-chip cache which represents over 260MB of on-chip cache in the maximum clustered configuration of 8 fully-coherent XLP II processors.
NetLogic also introduced a second-generation high-speed Inter-chip Coherency Interface (ICI) that will enable systems designs with eight sockets of XLP II processors for scalability of up to 640 NXCPUs. Full processor and memory coherency are enabled across all 640 NXCPUs, allowing software applications to run in Symmetric Multi Processing (SMP) or Asymmetric Multi Processing (AMP) modes.
- Earlier this year, Broadcom acquire NetLogic Microsystems in a deal valued at $3.7 billion ($50 per share) net of cash assumed. NetLogic Microsystems, which was based in Santa Clara, California, added a number of critical new product lines and technologies to Broadcom’s portfolio, including knowledge-based processors, multi-core embedded processors, and digital front-end processors.
