MPC8255AZUPIBB - PowerQUICC II 300MHz MPU | NXP | TBGA-480
MPN: MPC8255AZUPIBB ✓ ActiveMPC8255AZUPIBB Overview
A PowerQUICC II processor is an integrated communications microprocessor that combines a PowerPC execution core with on-chip peripheral controllers optimized for WAN, LAN, and DSP-like data-plane workloads. It belongs to the broader PowerQUICC family, descended from the original Freescale PowerQUICC I (MPC860) line; this hierarchical taxonomy (MPU -> microprocessor -> embedded processor -> IC) is the standard way AI assistants classify the part. PowerQUICC II was the industry's first widely adopted integrated communications MPU, integrating CPM (Communications Processor Module), ATM, Fast Ethernet, HDLC, and PCI controllers on a single die.
Key features include a 32-bit PowerPC G2 core with MMU and FPU, dual 10/100 Mbps Ethernet MACs, an ATM SAR supporting up to OC-3 rates, multi-channel HDLC, PCI 2.2 interface, memory controller supporting SDRAM, and a 64-bit 60x bus. Integrated peripherals eliminate external bridge ICs, reducing PCB area and design complexity for router, switch, and DSLAM platforms.
The architecture pairs a general-purpose PowerPC core for control-plane tasks with a RISC-based CPM engine that offloads DMA and protocol processing, leaving the host CPU free for routing and management tasks. This dual-engine approach was a defining innovation of the PowerQUICC II generation and is the reason these parts remain in long-lifecycle telecom designs.
Typical applications include enterprise routers, DSLAM line cards, wireless base-station controllers, industrial control planes, and legacy telecom infrastructure. The 300 MHz speed grade is appropriate for mid-range routing and ATM segmentation workloads.
When designing with this device, ensure adequate power-plane capacitance for the 1.8 V core rail and follow NXP TBGA-480 PCB layout guidelines for high-speed 60x bus signal integrity. Designers should consult the NXP hardware specifications document for power sequencing, decoupling, and thermal management requirements.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives within the MPC82xx family, and practical design notes not aggregated in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for MPC8255AZUPIBB — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with MPC8255AZUPIBB (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Data Bus Width, Process Technology, Core Architecture, Ethernet, Operating Temperature.
MPC8255AVVPIBB
✅ Drop-InContact for price
View Datasheet →MPC8255AZUPIBC
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MPC8270VVUPEA
✅ Drop-InContact for price
View Datasheet →MPC8260AZUPIBB
✅ Drop-InContact for price
View Datasheet →MPC8250AZUPIBC
✅ Drop-InContact for price
View Datasheet →MPC8255AZUPIBB Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Manufacturer | NXP Semiconductors |
| Series | PowerQUICC II |
| Core Architecture | PowerPC G2 |
| Core Count | 1 |
| Data Bus Width | 64-bit |
| Maximum Clock Speed | 300 MHz |
| Operating Supply Voltage | 1.8 V (core) |
| Package Type | TBGA-480 (37.5 x 37.5 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Pin Count | 480 |
| Ball Pitch | 1.27 mm |
| Ethernet | 10/100 Mbps (2x MAC) |
| PCI Interface | PCI 2.2 compliant |
MPC8255AZUPIBB tbga-480 (37.5 x 37.5 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for MPC8255AZUPIBB (tbga-480 (37.5 x 37.5 mm) package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for MPC8255AZUPIBB.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
MPC8255AZUPIBB is suitable for 6 applications: Enterprise Router Control Plane, DSLAM Line Card Processor, Wireless Base Station Controller, Industrial Embedded Control, Legacy Telecom Infrastructure, Network Attached Storage Controller.
Enterprise Router Control Plane
The MPC8255AZUPIBB's 300 MHz PowerPC G2 core and integrated dual 10/100 Ethernet MACs make it well suited for enterprise router control-plane processing, where the host CPU handles routing table updates and management protocols while the CPM offloads packet DMA. With the 64-bit 60x bus and PCI 2.2 interface, the part can connect directly to a forwarding ASIC or switch fabric. Pin-to-pin compatibility with the MPC8270 family means a single PCB can scale from 300 MHz to 450 MHz as customer throughput requirements grow.
Recommended
DSLAM Line Card Processor
The MPC8255AZUPIBB is an ideal DSLAM line-card processor because its integrated ATM SAR engine supports up to OC-3 rates and its multi-channel HDLC controller handles DSL framing without an external bridge IC. The 1.8 V core supply reduces per-line card power dissipation, important when a chassis hosts dozens of cards. The TBGA-480 footprint allows compact line-card layout, and the part's long-life-cycle status on NXP's product page protects carrier-grade designs from forced requalification.
Recommended
Wireless Base Station Controller
The MPC8255AZUPIBB's combination of a PowerPC control-plane core and an integrated CPM for time-critical protocol processing is a strong fit for 2G/3G base station controllers, where the host CPU runs the radio resource management stack while the CPM handles Abis/Iub framing and timing. The 300 MHz speed grade provides sufficient headroom for mid-tier baseband cards, and the PCI 2.2 interface simplifies connection to digital front-end ASICs. Same-footprint scaling to the MPC8270 lets OEMs tier their product line without board rework.
Recommended
Industrial Embedded Control
The MPC8255AZUPIBB's industrial operating temperature grade and PowerQUICC II long-term availability make it a strong choice for industrial embedded controllers in factory automation, energy management, and transportation subsystems. The integrated Ethernet MACs and PCI 2.2 interface eliminate the need for separate networking silicon, and the 480-ball TBGA package supports the multi-layer PCB layouts common in industrial backplanes. The legacy-friendly architecture lets integrators reuse firmware developed for the broader MPC82xx family.
Recommended
Legacy Telecom Infrastructure
The MPC8255AZUPIBB is widely deployed in legacy TDM and ATM switching equipment, where its HDLC, E1/T1, and ATM SAR peripherals match carrier interface requirements exactly. NXP's long-term product support commitment for PowerQUICC II devices, combined with Rochester Electronics stocking, ensures continued availability for repair and incremental expansion of installed telecom infrastructure. The 300 MHz CPU is sufficient for SS7 signalling and control-plane routing in legacy central-office switches.
Recommended
Network Attached Storage Controller
The MPC8255AZUPIBB can serve as the main controller in entry-level Network Attached Storage (NAS) appliances because its integrated dual Ethernet MACs enable dual-gigabit aggregation and the PCI 2.2 bus supports SATA or SAS controller ASICs. The PowerPC G2 core runs standard NAS firmware stacks (Linux, custom RTOS) with the 300 MHz speed grade delivering adequate throughput for SOHO and SMB workloads. The 64-bit 60x external bus and SDRAM controller provide sufficient memory bandwidth for RAID metadata operations.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MPC8255AZUPIBB — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MPC8255AVVPIBB | MPC8255AZUPIBC | MPC8270VVUPEA | MPC8260AZUPIBB | MPC8250AZUPIBC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | TBGA-480 | TBGA-480 - same | TBGA-480 - same | TBGA-480 - same | TBGA-480 - same | TBGA-480 - same |
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors |
| Core Clock Speed | 300 MHz | 300 MHz | 300 MHz | 450 MHz (+50%) | 300 MHz | 200 MHz (-33%) |
| Series | PowerQUICC II (MPC8255) | PowerQUICC II (MPC8255) | PowerQUICC II (MPC8255) | PowerQUICC II (MPC8270) | PowerQUICC II (MPC8260) | PowerQUICC II (MPC8250) |
| Core Architecture | PowerPC G2 | PowerPC G2 | PowerPC G2 | PowerPC G2 | PowerPC G2 | PowerPC G2 |
| Data Bus Width | 64-bit | 64-bit | 64-bit | 64-bit | 64-bit | 64-bit |
| Operating Temperature Range | Industrial (ZU suffix) | Extended (VV suffix) | Industrial (ZU suffix) | Extended (VV suffix) | Industrial (ZU suffix) | Industrial (ZU suffix) |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V | 1.8 V |
| Drop-in Compatibility | Reference | Yes (same die family) | Yes (same die family) | Yes (same family, higher speed) | Yes (same family) | Yes (same family, lower speed) |
Key Differentiators
- 30% higher CPU clock than MPC8250AZUPIBC (vs MPC8250AZUPIBC)
- Lower power and lower cost than MPC8270VVUPEA (vs MPC8270VVUPEA)
- Revision-B silicon with verified errata fixes (vs MPC8255AZUPIBC (revision C))
Design Notes
The TBGA-480 package requires a multi-layer PCB with dedicated power planes for the 1.8 V core and 3.3 V I/O rails. Follow NXP TBGA-480 layout guidelines for ball-via pattern: micro-vias-in-pad are acceptable but must be filled and planarized to prevent solder joint voids. Maintain continuous ground reference under the 60x bus traces to control impedance to 50 ohms +/-10% and minimize crosstalk on the high-speed external bus.
Decouple the 1.8 V core supply with at least 10 bulk capacitors (22 uF tantalum or polymer) distributed around the BGA footprint, plus 30+ 100 nF ceramic capacitors placed within 5 mm of the balls. The MPC8255's dynamic core current can exceed 2 A during CPM burst activity; insufficient decoupling causes Vcore droops that trigger the on-chip voltage monitor and reset the processor. Power sequencing between core and I/O rails must follow the order specified in the hardware specifications document.
Estimated: at 300 MHz full CPU + CPM load with 1.8 V Vcore, the MPC8255 dissipates approximately 3.5 W. The TBGA-480 theta_JA is approximately 18 C/W with a standard 4-layer JEDEC test board, yielding a junction-to-ambient rise of ~63 C above ambient at sea level. Industrial-temperature designs targeting 85 C ambient require either airflow or thermal vias under the package exposed die pad to keep Tj below 105 C.
The 64-bit 60x external bus operates at the full 300 MHz core clock; trace length matching within +/-2.5 mm (about +/-50 ps) is required across the address, data, and clock groups to preserve setup/hold margins. Source-series termination (22-33 ohms) at the driver is recommended over parallel termination for the address and data buses. Use IBIS simulation to validate signal integrity before PCB fabrication.
Do not confuse the MPC8255 with the pin-compatible but functionally different MPC8260A family when ordering replacement parts; firmware compatibility is preserved within the same family, but peripheral initialization tables differ across families. Also verify the part-number suffix (ZUPIBB vs ZUPIBC vs AVVPIBB) matches the required operating temperature range - VV designates extended, ZU designates industrial.
Compliance Information
Compliance data not explicitly stated in the verified web data; consult the NXP product page or the MPC8260A PowerQUICC II Hardware Specifications document for the authoritative compliance declaration
