Motorola Inc’s Microprocessor & Memory Technologies Group has slashed the price of its PowerPC-based MPC860 PowerQUICC microprocessors for internetworking and telecommunications applications. The MPC860 family, introduced in September 1995 at $68 for the MPC860DC version, is now available at from $36.30 in 10,000-up quantities. Motorola also introduced its sixth MPC860 family member, the MPC860DH, for bridges and routers. The PowerQUICC family is aimed at applications such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode ATM line card controllers, branch office and multiprotocol routers, cellular base-stations, main telephone exchanges, Internet applications, PABX controllers, primary rate ISDN protocol termination, remote access routers, smart Ethernet hubs, T1 and E1 line card controllers and wireless access points. Motorola said that the MPC860DH is a dual-channel equivalent to the MPC860MH four-channel part, with Serial Communication Controllers to handle either Ethernet or Multichannel HDLC for applications such as Ethernet to T1, E1 or ISDN bridges and routers.
