TI's Lowest-Power Programmable DSP Extends Battery Life in Portable Systems

In a Forward Concepts survey included in its recent report, DSP Strategies: Embedded Chip Trend Continues, the results clearly indicated that DSP designers named development tools and power
consumption as the top two considerations when selecting the optimal DSP chip for their designs, such as portable devices. Will Strauss, President of Forward Concepts said, TI's attention to the needs of
their customers is certainly reflected in the new C5506 DSP, which delivers the industry's lowest standby power consumption. He went on to say, With its current comprehensive power management tools, TI empowers developers to drive down power consumption to levels that are hard to beat.

A new option in TI's low-power programmable DSP portfolio TI's new C5506 DSP joins a feature-rich line of extremely low-power multimedia processors that includes the TMS320C5509A, C5507 and C5503
DSPs. With the introduction of the C5506 DSP, system developers have a low-voltage, lower cost option that reduces power consumption even further to minimize the drain on batteries and prolong time between charges.

The C5506 DSP is an excellent solution for mass-market applications that require real-time signal processing performance yet need to keep power consumption low. Touch screen controllers are moving to DSP-based control for greater precision, lower cost and greater functionality. PC-connected USB headsets require plenty of processing for noise reduction, echo cancellation and audio streaming. Hands-free car phone kits and cordless handsets used in wireless LANs, VoIP phones, deck
phones, and other portable applications need a modem signal processor with low standby power for extensive ultra low power idle modes. In each of these cases, the C5506 DSP provides the right combination of low power consumption, MIPS, memory, connectivity, small form factor and
affordability for the application. The C5506 DSP's advantages allow developers of these and other portable systems to create more robust, less expensive products with enhanced appeal for consumers.

The C5506 DSP allows TI customers to reduce costs and add features that can open new markets for their products, said John Dixon, low power DSP product marketing manager, Texas Instruments. This low-cost USB-enabled device extends the capabilities of TI's low-power DSP offerings, showing that TI continues to provide leadership in affordable portable communications.

Developers using the C5506 DSP can rely on the TMS320C55xT Power Optimization DSP Starter Kit (DSK), a comprehensive set of tools that reduces the time needed to find power bottlenecks in a design.