DSPs Said to Deliver More Than 2.5X Price/Performance Improvement for Telecom and Networked DSP Applications

Leveraging an effective combination of integrated peripherals, on-chip memory and high performance, the C642x DSPs address customers' needs to reduce overall system costs and improve performance

in telecom and networked DSP applications. The devices are 100 percent upward code-compatible with existing TMS320C6000TM DSPs and can be programmed utilizing the TI´s proven eXpressDSPT software that supports open source and third party software. The processors are supported by

new C6424 DSP evaluation module (EVM) and development tools, helping to simplify system development and encourage innovation.



Based on the TMS320C64x+T DSP core, the performance of the C6424 DSP and C6421 DSP peaks at 4800 MMACs at 600 MHz. Powerful I/O capabilities are enabled by the EDMA 3.0 with 4.8 GB/s throughput and the 333 MHz DDR2 memory interface. The C6421 DSP at 400 MHz is the lowest cost C64x DSP,

and is pin for pin compatible with other C642x DSPs allowing scalability in performance, feature set and price. The on-chip Ethernet MAC reduces the bill of materials (BOM) for networked DSP applications. The large on-chip memory further reduces BOM cost by reducing the need for external memory. The C6424 and C6421 DSPs deliver a 1.6X to 2X boost in raw DSP processing power (e.g. peak 16-bit MMACs), and with a 50 percent price reduction, enable more than a 2.5X price/performance improvement over previous generation DSPs.



To better address the exploding voice and video over IP (VoIP) market, TI has teamed with Surf Communication Solutions, Ltd. (Surf) to provide ready-made telecom cards and a development support system that significantly reduces time-to-market and development risk. The

SurfExpress/PCIeTM and SurfRider/AMCTM are Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) media processing platforms based on TI C6000T DSPs. These popular platforms have been pre-integrated with leading manufacturers' ATCA and MicroTCA systems. Both the SurfExpress/PCIe and SurfRider/AMC feature

the SurfDockerTM, a modular plug-in that carries pairs of mixed types of DSPs, including C642x products, and supports a variety of configurations to meet telecom requirements. The built-in flexibility of the development tools make it possible to begin designing new systems

without committing to the specific serial interfaces, the number of DSPs per board needed to achieve the required channel density and the types of DSPs to be integrated into the final board for the customer's production system. Surf also offers chip-level solutions based on the

C642x DSPs that come with a complete multimedia processing package for telecom applications. Additionally, Surf software supports Video Transcode/Transrate (H.263/MPEG 4/H.264) on C642x.



Also, Adaptive Digital Technologies is announcing the G.PAK software suite for C642x DSPs. The C6424 is the DSP that many of our customers need in order make feature-rich, cost-effective, competitive products. The C6424 offers plenty of performance and has the right set of

peripherals for telecom applications, all at a market-enabling price. Based upon the enormous amount of early interest in this device, we have made a strategic decision to focus heavily on the C6424 DSP by porting our entire G.PAK application to it. If there were ever a good reason to

put a few extra eggs in a single basket, the C6424 DSP is that basket, said Scott Kurtz, VP Engineering, Adaptive Digital Technologies, Inc.



Both new DSPs are available in 400, 500 and 600 MHz speeds. The C6421 DSP provides 16 KB of L1D and 16 KB of L1P and 64 KB of L2 SRAM cache for a total of 96 KB. The C6421 DSP also includes two EMIF interfaces, a 16-bit 266 MHz DDR2 and an 8-bit EMIFA, and a VLYNQ and McBSP and McASP

interface. The C6424 DSP features 80 KB of L1D, 32 KB of L1P, and 128 KB of L2 SRAM cache for a total of 240 KB. The C6424 includes a 32-bit 333 MHz DDR2 and a 16-bit EMIFA, a PCI 33 MHz or VLYNQ interface for an optional FPGA interface and two McBSP or a McASP interface. The C6424

and C6421 DSPs also feature an EMAC (RMII/MII) or HPI / RMII, two UARTs,

I2C, GPIO, three PWM and two 64b-timers. The two chips are pin compatible with each other so they can easily be swapped out to increase performance or reduce cost. Both new DSPs are available in two sizes, a 16 mm by 16 mm, the smallest package size ever offered for a C64x DSP,

and a 23 mm by 23 mm ball grid array (BGA) package at 0.8 mm pitch and 1.0 mm pitch respectively.