The Freescale ColdFire is a 68k architecture microprocessor manufactured for embedded systems development by Freescale Semiconductor (formerly the semiconductor sector of Motorola).

The ColdFire instruction set is "assembly source" compatible (by means of translation software available from the vendor) and not entirely object code compatible with the 68000. When compared to classic 68k hardware, the instruction set differs mainly in that it no longer has support for the Binary Coded Decimal, or BCD packed data format; it removes a number of other, less used instructions; and most instructions that are kept support less addressing modes. Presumably this results in a simpler and lower cost instruction decoder. Also, floating point intermediates are 64 bits and not 80 bits as in the 68881 and 68882.

Newer models of ColdFire are compatible enough with 68k processors that it is now possible to create binary compatible Amiga clones. The Debian project is currently working on making its m68k port compatible with the ColdFires, as there are ColdFires models that are much faster than the 68060 (they can be clocked as high as 266MHz, compared to the 60MHz you can get from a 68060 without overclocking), the fastest "real" m68k processor.

External Links

• Freescale Semiconductor's Official ColdFire Site
• Original announcement of ColdFire based Amiga clone and FAQ about it

68k microprocessors

Motorola Coldfire | Motorola ColdFire | Motorola Coldfire | Coldfire | Coldfire