Intel Previews Next Generation Processors

Intel unveiled two new major next-generation technology initiatives at this week’s Intel Developer Forum in Beijing, China. Sandy Bridge is a new microarchitecture for Intel core processors and Tunnel Creek is an SoC (system-on-a-chip) for embedded applications.

Sandy Bridge, which is slated for general release in late 2010, is a processor platform built on Intel’s second-generation Hi-K 32 nanometer processor technology that will replace Intel’s current processor platform known as Nehalem.

Sandy Bridge processors will be the first to support Intel’s Advanced Vector Extension (AVX) instructions, which the company says are a move toward floating point intensive computation in general purpose applications such as image, video and audio processing. AVX is also designed to improve computation in engineering applications such as 3-D modeling and analysis.

In addition, Sandy Bridge will continue support for Intel AES New Instructions (AES-NI). This set of seven software instructions is designed to accelerate data encryption and decryption. Other Sandy Bridge features include a sixth-generation Intel graphics core.

Tunnel Creek, which is set for future release with no specific timeframe as of yet, will serve as an SoC for embedded applications such as in-vehicle data and entertainment systems, as well as IP media phones. Tunnel Creek will use a standard interconnect to the processor and combine an Intel Atom processor core, memory controller hub, graphics engine and video engine on a single chip.

In addition, Intel says Tunnel Creek will allow users to connect custom-built silicon to Intel chips, as long as the custom-built silicon is PCI Express-compliant. Intel is positioning this feature as reducing both cost and space requirements for embedded applications.