Freescale Plans Extreme Performance for Kinetis MCUs with ARM Cortex-M7 Core

Industry’s broadest portfolio of compatible and scalable MCUs based on ARM Cortex-M cores set to expand with Cortex-M7

AUSTIN, Texas-- September 24, 2014 -- Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: FSL) today announced its support for the recently unveiled ARM Cortex-M7 core, which Freescale plans to leverage for new levels of performance and power efficiency in forthcoming embedded SoCs. A leading ARM partner and an early adopter of multiple ARM products, Freescale was the first to market with MCUs based on the Cortex-M4 and Cortex-M0+ cores.

With the industry’s broadest range of compatible and scalable MCUs based on ARM Cortex-M cores, Freescale maintains software and hardware compatibility across six unique Kinetis series, while offering the choice of general purpose or application specific features.

“The new ARM Cortex-M7 processor delivers truly exceptional performance and energy efficiency,” said Denis Cabrol, head of global marketing and business development for Freescale’s MCU group. “Freescale looks forward to adding this new technology to our vast portfolio of Cortex-M based devices, ultimately benefiting our customers who require varying levels of performance, power, integration and costs.”

The ARM Cortex-M7 provides up to two times the performance of ARM Cortex-M4 solutions, while delivering faster connectivity and powerful localized processing for a range of fast-growing markets including motor control, power conversion, IoT and connectivity applications. The new ARM technology holds the potential to produce MCUs featuring world class performance, bringing the benefits and scalability of the ARM ecosystem to higher-end embedded applications.

“Freescale has long been a trusted ARM partner and key early adopter of our newest technologies,” said Noel Hurley, general manager, CPU group, ARM. “We value the insight that Freescale and their customers have given us in determining the functionality for the Cortex-M7 processor. With double the compute and digital signal processing (DSP) capability of today’s most powerful ARM-based MCUs, we expect the Cortex-M7 to be at the heart of a range of innovative, performance-driven embedded applications.”

About Freescale Semiconductor

Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: FSL) is a global leader in embedded processing solutions, providing industry-leading products that are advancing the automotive, consumer, industrial and networking markets. From microprocessors and microcontrollers to sensors, analog integrated circuits and connectivity – our technologies are the foundation for the innovations that make our world greener, safer, healthier and more connected. Some of our key applications and end-markets include automotive safety, hybrid and all-electric vehicles, next generation wireless infrastructure, smart energy management, portable medical devices, consumer appliances and smart mobile devices. The company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing and sales operations around the world. www.freescale.com