New TI MCUs enable Edge AI

TI’s TMS320F28P55x series of C2000 MCUs is the industry's first portfolio of real-time microcontrollers with an integrated neural processing unit (NPU), enabling fault detections with high accuracy and low latency. The F29H85x series is built on TI’s new 64-bit C29 digital signal processor core and offers an advanced architecture with integrated safety and security features. TI will display both devices at electronica 2024, Nov. 12-15, in Munich, Germany.

“Engineers increasingly strive to design automotive and industrial applications that are more energy efficient and can make faster decisions, driving a need for more scalable processing power, expanded memory, and on-chip safety and security enablers,” said Amichai Ron, Senior Vice President, TI Embedded Processing. “For decades, our C2000 MCUs have been enabling manufacturers to measure and efficiently process real-world data. Today’s introduction of enhanced real-time performance and Edge AI in our C2000 portfolio will empower engineers to solve more complex problems and reach higher levels of system efficiency, safety and sustainability.”

Empowering smarter, more efficient systems through Edge AI-enabled MCUs

Engineers today are challenged to design systems that can make accurate, intelligent decisions in real time to perform functions such as arc fault detection in solar and energy storage systems and motor-bearing fault detection for predictive maintenance. As the industry’s first real-time MCUs with an integrated neural processing unit, TI’s new C2000 TMS320F28P55x series meets both of these challenges by ensuring consistent performance with real-time processing.

The NPU in the TMS320F28P55x series offloads the execution of the neural network model from the main CPU, achieving five to 10 times lower latency than software implementations to enable faster, more accurate decision-making. Further, the model that runs on the integrated NPU learns and adapts to different environments through training, helping systems achieve greater than 99% fault detection accuracy to enable more informed decision-making at the Edge. TI’s complete AI toolchain, which includes models that are optimised and tested for specific applications, helps engineers with any level of experience easily complete the AI model development process.

To learn more about AI-enabled real-time control applications, read the technical article, ‘Optimising system fault detection in real-time control systems with Edge AI-enabled MCUs’.

Enabling industry-leading real-time control performance with advanced safety and security

Designers are increasingly looking for a single MCU with more flash memory, larger computational capabilities and more integrated functionality. This need is particularly evident as vehicles shift from discrete solutions to integrated solutions, where a single chip is capable of handling various computational and housekeeping functions within the powertrain. TI’s new C29 core, with its 64-bit architecture, delivers more than double the real-time signal-chain performance of the C28 core.

Featuring comprehensive diagnostics and error-checking mechanisms, the F29H85x series was engineered for compliance with International Organization for Standardization 26262 and International Electrotechnical Commission 61508 automotive and industrial safety standards, with levels up to ASIL D and SIL 3. These MCUs also provide cybersecurity capabilities, with a fully isolated hardware security module that protects systems from unauthorised access and cyberthreats. Additionally, TI’s proprietary safety and security unit provides runtime safety and security without a performance penalty using an advanced, context-aware memory protection unit for hardware isolation of CPU tasks, with freedom from interference and self-test processes.

To learn more about how TI helps engineers solve processing and safety design challenges, read the article, ‘How MCUs Built With Innovative C29 Cores Increase Real-Time Performance in High-Voltage Systems’.

TI at electronica 2024

At electronica 2024, TI will showcase how its analog and embedded processing products are helping design a more intelligent and sustainable future. Demonstrations include the latest advancements in robotics, industrial communications, Edge AI and intelligent systems, energy infrastructure, and software-defined vehicles.

Package, availability and pricing

• The TMS320F28P550SJ and TMS320F28P559SJ-Q1 are available now at ti.com/C2000 in preproduction quantities, with the F29H850TU and F29H859TU-Q1 available by year-end 2024
• Multiple payment and shipping options are available
• Includes evaluation modules