BCM has many designs based on the Intel® Atom™ platform, both standard products and custom designs. Currently we are focused on the Intel® Menlow family (Atom™ Z510/Z530) for its ultra low-power and on the initial Atom™ N270 processor for its low-power and fan-less operation. We have multiple standard products for each of these processors creating a nice launch pad for companies looking for a custom (ODM) Atom™ design which is our industry sweet spot. Today we have over 10 custom designs around the Intel® Atom™ Z510/Z530 and N270. Behind these we have both Pineview and Tunnel Creek to capture new opportunities.
BCM has rallied around the Intel® Atom™ family of processors allowing us to settle on one stable x86 low-power embedded platform while shedding competing technologies. By focusing on Atom™ we have become very good at designing with this architecture and can be much more flexible with our customers and potential customers in terms of custom ODM designs. Since Atom™ is such a milestone for the x86 industry in terms of a cost effectiveness, low power, and a fan-less solution, combined with the embedded stability Intel® offers, we are seeing many OEMs gravitate to it. These features, along with BCM’s willingness to customize, make the Atom™ a very attractive solution for both the OEMs and BCM.
Trends in low-power, Intel®-based designs
We are seeing trends in even lower-power but also higher performance. Intel® is fast closing the gap with the traditional ultra-mobile handheld technologies. So much so that we are starting to field inquires from handheld industries, particularly in the handheld test instrument and gaming industries, much more than ever before.
On the higher end the new dual-core™ Atom™ processors with the 7 year lifecycle opens new doors to companies on the fencepost in terms of balancing performance against the obvious benefits of a lower-power technology. Essentially low-power Intel®-based designs are expanding in two directions.
Growth in customer demand for low-power, Intel-based designs
We are seeing demand across most of our traditional embedded/industrial industries for the Intel® Atom™ based technology primarily due to the benefits of low-power combined with decent performance and tremendous value in terms of processing power per dollar. Customers are able to make their products smaller, more efficient, more mobile, more reliable, and more cost effective – all the things low-power and Atom™ bring to the table. We are seeing Atom™ designs in everything from medical devices to industrial control systems, human interface machines, telephone systems, kiosks, and control consoles. Before Atom™ customers were really limited in their x86 low-power technology options lacking the stability the Intel® embedded program offers so with the latest low-power options from Intel® many conservative industries, like medical, are really jumping onboard this technology.
For more information, please visit our web site at www.bcmcom.com or contact us at BCMSales@bcmcom.com.