The announcement, made at the Intel Developer Forum, marks the first time Intel has developed versions of its leading processors for use in dedicated, connected applications. "In the past, we always adopted products off the desktop and rarely did any engineering," said Mike Carboni, application and development manager in the Computing Enhancement Group of Intel's Embedded Microprocessor Division (Chandler, Ariz.). "In this case, though, it's not just a matter of 'adopt.' Now we're engineering for embedded applications."

The new product line includes: a 600-MHz Pentium III processor with dual processing capability and 840 chip set; a 400-MHz Pentium III processor-Low Power; and a 500-MHz Pentium III processor-Low Power Module. All employ flip-chip technology, in which dies are directly bonded, instead of wire bonded, to a substrate.

That's important for embedded applications because it reduces the overall height of the package — in some cases, by as much as 2.5 inches. That, in turn, makes it easier for OEM design engineers to fit the processors into their products. "In the past it was up to us to redesign the processor for our embedded application," said Mike Dempsey, an engineering manager for Diversified Technology Inc. (Ridgeland, Miss.), a manufacturer of industrial computers. "But our form factor was so much different than a PC's that we had to find ways to accommodate our geometry. In some cases, it was almost impossible."

Users of embedded processors said an even bigger benefit of Intel's move may be the longevity of the new products. Unlike desktop microprocessors, which typically have a product life ranging from 12 to 18 months, Intel says it has committed manufacturing lines to the new embedded processors for a period of five years. "A large portion of our customers are in telecom and datacom, and they can't afford to upgrade their software every 18 months," said Dana Witt, product manager for ICS Advent (San Diego), a manufacturer of Internet communication appliances. "This allows us to choose a specific processor and stay with it for five years, so our customers don't have to requalify their software every year."

Intel says its goal for the new product introduction is to make it easier for OEM engineers to design and control their embedded solutions. To that end, the company introduced hardware and software building blocks, including proof-of-concept motherboards and a specialized firmware library. The proof-of-concept boards enable engineers to easily design common motherboards for broad product lines that use more than one kind of microprocessor, Intel said. And the firmware library provides software for initialization of the processor, memory, and chip set. "The idea is for us to provide the microprocessor expertise so that they can focus on what they're good at," Carboni said.

In addition to Intel's embedded product introduction, the company also announced the formation of an industry support group composed of members that have already built embedded computing products based on the new microprocessor line. Known as Applied Computing Platform Providers, it includes Advantech, Diversified Technology, Force Computers, ICS Advent, Motorola, Radisys, Ziatech and others.