TI's new C6A816x Integra DSP + ARM processors provide extreme integration and high-performance

DALLAS, USA: Texas Instruments Inc. (TI)builds upon the success of its existing digital signal processor (DSP) + ARM product offerings by introducing the C6A816x Integra™ DSP + ARM generation of processors.

The C6A816x Integra DSP + ARM processors offer the industry’s fastest single-core floating- and fixed-point DSP performance with performance up to 1.5 GHz and also integrates the industry’s fastest single-core ARM Cortex-A8 core with performance up to 1.5 GHz. The combined Integra DSP + ARM architecture is ideal because the DSP is dedicated to handle intensive signal processing needs, complex math functions and image processing algorithms, while the ARM is available for graphical user interfaces (GUIs), network connectivity, system control and application processing under multiple operating systems.

These operating systems include Linux, Microsoft Windows Embedded Compact 7 and Android. The C6A816x Integra DSP + ARM processors also integrate numerous high bandwidth peripherals that lower system cost and improve system performance, making them perfect for applications such as machine vision, test and measurement and tracking and control.

Extreme integration for performance, connectivity and cost efficiencies
The two new devices in the C6A816x Integra DSP + ARM generation are the C6A8168 and C6A8167 processors. These processors integrate a TMS320C674x floating- and fixed-point DSP and an ARM Cortex-A8 processor on a single chip, along with several high-bandwidth peripherals, optimized for a broad array of applications.

These peripherals include PCIExpress Gen2, SATA 2.0, dual Gigabit Ethernet and dual DDR2/DDR3 interfaces that offer various network connectivity selections and storage options and provide quick transmission of data on and off of the chip.

This integration allows customers to dramatically improve performance and can reduce bill of materials (BOM) costs by as much as 50 percent through reduced chip count, including discrete memory costs, and printed circuit board (PCB) space.

Advanced display capabilities and 3D graphics
The C6A8168 and C6A8167 Integra DSP + ARM processors are equipped with an on-chip display engine allowing for output of two different streams of content for dual, simultaneous high-resolution displays.

This is important in applications such as high-end machine vision systems where one display presents a touch screen keyboard and the other display shows machine performance and vision analysis output. The C6A8168 Integra DSP + ARM processor specifically integrates a 3D graphics accelerator to enable a more complex, richer GUI experience. Both processors are perfect for applications requiring a seamless graphical, dual-screen experience from a single highly integrated processor.

Highly scalable platform protects software investments and expands market opportunities
TI provides its customers with a wide range of devices — from low-power to high-performance options — including Integra DSP + ARM processors, Sitara ARM MPUs and DaVinci digital media processors.

Using these compatible offerings from TI, customers can rapidly develop multiple products with an array of features to address diverse markets, while reusing their investments in software across all the products. These new compatible Integra DSP + ARM and Sitara ARM MPU devices share the same peripheral memory maps, bus architecture and ARM Cortex-A8 core, allowing for increased functionality and product robustness while protecting investments and allowing for faster time to market.

Additionally, with a broad portfolio of software compatible devices, customers can migrate within the Integra DSP + ARM product line from earlier ARM9™-based low-power OMAP-L13x DSP + ARM processors and scale to the C6A816x Integra DSP + ARM processors and to future compatible devices.

Evaluate in minutes; begin development in less than an hour
Both the new the Integra DSP + ARM processors and Sitara ARM MPUs are supported by a comprehensive hardware evaluation module (EVM) and a single, free TI EZ Software Development Kit (EZ SDK), allowing customers to evaluate their devices in minutes and begin development in less than an hour.

The Integra DSP + ARM processors and Sitara ARM MPUs also share a common development environment, containing TI’s Code Composer Studio Integrated Development Environment that supports all TI embedded processors. This minimizes the learning curve to accelerate time to market and reduce development costs.

Additionally, for ARM programmers who want to take advantage of the DSP performance in the Integra DSP + ARM processors, the TI EZ SDK contains tools to make DSP programming easy. TI’s C6EZRun for code porting enables developers to easily run ARM code on a DSP without changing their ARM application code, and the TI C6EZAccel provides a library of hundreds of DSP-optimized signal processing algorithms with ARM APIs to accelerate development time.