VULCAN Technical Manual
Detailed hardware description
© 2007 Eurotech Ltd Issue D
16
IXP425 network processor
The VULCAN is based on the Intel IXP425 Xscale network processor (see
www.intel.com/design/network/products/npfamily/ixp425.htm
). This is a 32 bit ARM
Architecture v.5TE compliant CPU with integrated peripherals.
The IXP425 network processor has the following features:
•
Intel
®
XScale
™
core running the system clock rate of 133MHz.
•
Three Network Processor Engines (NPEs) for layer-2 packet/frame network
processing.
•
PCI 2.2 interface.
•
Expansion bus interface operating at 33MHz.
•
2-MII/RMII interfaces (10/100Mb/s Ethernet).
•
32 bit SDRAM interface operating at 133MHz.
•
Encryption/authentication hardware acceleration.
•
High-speed UART (921KBaud).
•
Console UART (921KBaud).
•
Internal bus performance monitoring unit.
•
16 GPIO.
•
Four internal timers including watchdog timer.
•
Available in 266MHz, 400MHz and 533MHz speed variants
•
492 pin PBGA packaging.
The VULCAN design supports all speed variants of the Intel IXP425 processor. The
standard variant of VULCAN uses the 533MHz version of Intel IXP425.
A single 33.33MHz external oscillator is used to run the IXP425 processor. All other
clocks are generated internally in the processor.
The GPIO15 processor pin is configured as 33MHz clock output. Zero-delay clock
buffer is used to distribute 33MHz clock to devices connected to the PCI bus, and back
to the processor’s expansion bus clock input.
The IXP425 network processor also includes a WAN/HSS network processor
engine (for UTOPIA 2). This is not connected on the VULCAN SBC.
