Xilinx Zynq EPPs based on two ARM Cortex-A9s create a new category that fits in among SoCs, FPGAs, and microcontrollers

After telegraphing its punch at ESC last spring, Xilinx has now introduced the first four members of its EPP product line, which is based on a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor complex, and has named them Zynq to differentiate them from the company’s FPGAs. (See “Xilinx redefines the high-end microcontroller with its ARM-based Extensible Processing Platform – Part 1” and “Xilinx redefines the high-end microcontroller with its ARM-based Extensible Processing Platform – Case Studies – Part 2”.) Two of the four Zynq family members are designed for low-power applications and the other two emphasize performance over power. “What’s an EPP?” you might ask. It’s an “Extensible Processing Platform,” a new IC category Xilinx hopes to create. Think of an EPP as an embedded processor with an attached FPGA fabric. “Haven’t they tried this before?” you’re now asking. Yes, they have. This time, the difference is that Xilinx is emphasizing the “processor” aspect of the device over the FPGA aspect—and you can expect that change in emphasis to make all the difference.