AMD pitches 3DNow at embedded market

AMD has made its pitch for the set-top box and appliance markets with the first shipments of the K6-2E, the first member of AMD's embedded x86 family to include 3DNow and MMX technology. The company has priced it at $59 for the 300MHz version, and $56 and $55 for the 266MHz and 233MHz respectively. Low power versions are $69 for the 266MHz and $66 for the 233MHz. AMD is pitching the 2E at the likes of central office switches, high speed routers, industrial comtrol systems, information appliances and point of sale, but the incorporation of multimedia capabilities in low-cost embedded x86 silicon will help spur the development of new applications and classes of appliance. The chip supports Socket 7 and Super7 designs, and uses a split pane voltage design that allows the processor core to operate at a lower voltage while the I/O voltage operates at 3.3V. ®