New TMS320C64x™ DSPs Revolutionize 3G Wireless, Broadband Infrastructure and Imaging Applications
Highest Performance Matched with Tailored Memory and Peripherals Fuel Three New Power-Efficient, Programmable DSPs for Breakthrough System Performance
HOUSTON (February 12, 2001) -- Ushering in the next-generation of advanced communications, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE:TXN) today unveiled three new members of the industry's highest-performing generation of programmable digital signal processors (DSPs). Operating at speeds of up to 600 megahertz (MHz), the new TMS320C6000(tm) DSPs offer up to ten times the performance of any other available DSP for broadband applications and up to 15 times the performance for advanced imaging/video applications.
The new TMS320C6414, TMS320C6415 and TMS320C6416 DSPs are the first devices based on the industry's highest-performing DSP core: the TMS320C64x DSP from Texas Instruments. In addition to unmatched performance, the new products will also consume one-third of the power. This maximizes channel density in communications infrastructure equipment including 3G wireless base stations, Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers (DSLAMs) and other network concentration units.
The new chips will also feature optimized system-level integration for reduced system costs and faster time-to-market with the industry's most complete high-level language development environment. Full object code compatibility with other C6000™ DSP devices allows for easy migration of existing designs. The most highly integrated of the new devices is the C6416, which includes coprocessors and Input/Output (I/O) interfaces specifically targeted at 3G wireless base stations. The C6415 integrates the same I/O interfaces, without the accelerators, for use in other broadband and imaging systems. The C6414 features general-purpose interfaces for systems that do not require dedicated network connectivity. See www.dspvillage.ti.com/newc64xdsps.
Highest system performance and power efficiency
The new C64x™ DSPs leverage the advanced very-long-instruction-word (VLIW) architecture of the C64x core to achieve extremely high performance for today's demanding applications. The core's eight functional units can execute four 16-bit MAC operations or eight 8-bit MAC operations each cycle to achieve maximum parallelism in processing communications and imaging algorithms. A single C64x DSP can simultaneously perform 1 channel of MPEG4 video encode, 1 channel of MPEG4 video decode, and 1 channel of MPEG2 video decode and still have over 50% headroom remaining for multi-channel voice and data coding.
Key features of the memory and peripheral system include the following:
- A real-time hierarchical memory system incorporating 1056 kilobytes (kB) of on-chip SRAM fuels the ultra-fast DSP core;
- A 64-channel enhanced direct memory access (EDMA) controller features unmatched concurrency for efficient management of gigabytes per second of data I/O from system memory;
- Dual external buses provide over 1.2 gigabytes of external memory bandwidth
- A 33Mhz/32-bit PCI interface and a Utopia II interface for Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) simplify host and network connectivity on the C6415 and the C6416;
- A 32-bit host port interface on the C6414 eases host connectivity;
- Up to 3 multi-channel buffered serial ports each support 128 TDM channels as well as industry standard audio interfaces, including AC97 and IIS.
This high level of system performance comes with competitive power efficiency as well. TI has employed many of the power-saving techniques it created for the ultra-low-power TMS320C55x™ DSP in the development of the new C64x DSP devices. As a result, typical power consumption is one-third that of the first-generation C6000 DSP devices. This power efficiency will enable OEMs to pack more channels in less space, saving costs in both manufacture and operation.
"TI is committed to providing the highest performing code-compatible DSPs for today's leading broadband communications and imaging applications," said Greg Delagi, vice president worldwide DSP, Texas Instruments. "System developers know that only TI is in volume production with a 300Mhz DSP today, and only TI is scheduled to deliver 600-MHz DSP performance by mid-2001."
Superior performance for 3G wireless base stations
With the announcement of the code compatible C6416, TI builds on the large number of wireless base station designs based on the TMS320C6203. The C6416 integrates coprocessors for key 3G wireless algorithms. A turbo coprocessor (TCP), performs turbo decoding of wireless data channels and a Viterbi coprocessor (VCP) performs convolutional decoding of wireless voice channels. Although the C64x core provides outstanding performance for these algorithms, their prevalence in 3G wireless applications mandates the use of coprocessors to provide an optimum system solution. The combination of coprocessors and the advanced core allows a single C6416 device to support the symbol rate processing of more than 300 AMR voice channels at 12.2kbps and 35 data channels at 384 kbps, more than any other DSP on the market today.
As the first released products in the C64x DSP generation, the new C6414, C6415 and C6416 DSPs represent an important milestone in TI's programmable DSP roadmap. The C64x DSP core is scalable to over 1.1GHz and is flexible enough to support efficient multicore designs. Future C64x DSP devices will include a variety of memory, peripheral and coprocessors combinations tailored to meet the needs of targeted broadband infrastructure and imaging applications.
"TI understands the 3G wireless industry and has proven itself able to design and deliver DSP products that meet the needs of 3G manufacturers," said Jean-Pierre Demange, Wireless Infrastructure Business Unit Director, Texas Instruments. "As the 3G wireless industry grows, TI programmable DSPs will continue to be at the forefront with performance and integration."
Fast software development from existing designs
Because the C64x DSP instruction set is a superset of the C62x™ DSP instruction set, OEMs can directly port the object code they have developed for their earlier-generation designs. The efficiency of the C64x DSP C-compiler enables developers to create new code and modify existing code quickly, an important capability in the rapidly evolving fields of communications and imaging. In addition, TI's Code Composer Studio™ integrated development environment (IDE) offers the industry's most complete and advanced set of tools to ease the implementation of DSP code.
The Code Composer Studio IDE is one of the four key ingredients of TI's eXpressDSP™ Real-Time Software Technology that empower developers to achieve full DSP entitlement. The other elements of eXpressDSP technology are DSP/BIOS--a scalable, real-time kernel--the TMS320™ DSP Algorithm Standard for application interoperability and reuse, and a growing base of TI DSP-based software modules from third parties that can be easily integrated into systems by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
TI Offers Broad Portfolio of High-Performance Analog ICs To Support the C64x DSPs
TI has a broad portfolio of high-performance standard linear ICs that support the C64x DSPs. TI's portfolio of power management ICs for the C64x DSP include "plug-in" power solutions, DC/DC converters and supply voltage supervisors. TI also offers high-performance data converters that easily interface with the C64x DSPs, giving designers complete flexibility by providing a wide selection of voltage references to match the user's design requirements. (http://www.ti.com/sc/docs/msp/dsps.htm)
Availability, packaging and pricing
Initial sampling of all three devices is scheduled to begin in June 2001. TI plans to offer 400-, 500- and 600-MHz versions of all of the devices, all packaged in a space-saving 532-lead 23x23-millimeter (mm) ball grid array (BGA). Planned pricing begins at $95 each for 10,000 units of the 400-MHz C6414.
Development tool support for the new C64x DSPs is available to qualified customers today and is scheduled to be available to the general market in June 2001. Technical documentation is available today on the Internet at www.dspvillage.ti.com/newc64xdsps.
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