Offering industry's highest-performing single-core ARM® Cortex(TM)-A8 and extreme system integration, Texas Instruments introduces its newest AM389x Sitara(TM) ARM microprocessors

Ideal for single-board computing, communications and networking, these 1.5 GHz Sitara ARM MPUs offer customers software compatibility, reduced system cost and software for easy development

News provided by

Texas Instruments

Oct 21, 2010, 05:03 ET

DALLAS, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments (TI) (NYSE: TXN) expands its portfolio of industry-leading Sitara™ ARM® microprocessors (MPUs) with new AM389x Sitara ARM MPUs that dramatically boost performance and integration. Offering the industry's highest-performing, single-core ARM Cortex™-A8 with performance at up to 1.5 GHz, the AM389x Sitara ARM MPUs also integrate peripherals that make them perfect for applications such as single-board computers, gateways, routers, servers, industrial automation, human machine interfaces (HMIs) and point-of-service data terminals. These newest high-performance AM389x Sitara ARM MPUs enable faster end products that include network connectivity, graphical user interfaces and display capabilities and the ability to run multiple applications simultaneously for multiple operating systems, such as Linux, Microsoft® Windows® Embedded Compact 7 and Android.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click; http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/texasinstruments/39157/

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101019/MM84325 )

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101019/MM84325 )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20010105/NEF016LOGO)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010105/NEF016LOGO)

Extreme integration for connectivity and cost efficiencies

The two new devices in the AM389x Sitara ARM MPU generation are the AM3892 and the AM3894, both packed with several high-bandwidth integrated peripherals, including PCIExpress Gen2, SATA 2.0, dual Gigabit Ethernet and dual DDR2/DDR3 interfaces. This rich and unique combination of peripherals, optimized for a broad array of applications, allows for quick transmission of data on and off the chip to take advantage of the performance of the ARM Cortex-A8 core within each processor. Because all of these peripherals are integrated on-chip, they save printed circuit board (PCB) space and can reduce bill of materials (BOM) cost while allowing customers to include more features into smaller form-factor end equipment.

Advanced display capabilities and 3D graphics

The AM3892 and AM3894 Sitara ARM MPUs offer an on-chip display engine allowing output of two different streams of content for dual, simultaneous high-resolution displays. This display capability is perfect for applications requiring a seamless graphical, dual-screen experience. For example, HMI applications can use one display for a touch screen keyboard and the other display to view machine performance output. Additionally, the AM3894 Sitara ARM MPU features a 3D graphics accelerator to enable richer graphical user interfaces and an enhanced user experience.

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 Sitara™ ARM MPUs, Integra™ DSP + ARM processors (also announced today) 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 compatible Sitara ARM MPUs and Integra DSP + ARM processors 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 more than 70 product options available today, customers can scale within the Sitara ARM MPU product line from earlier software-compatible AM35x Sitara ARM MPUs to the new highest-performance AM389x Sitara ARM MPUs and to future devices.

Evaluate in minutes; begin development in less than an hour

Both the new Sitara ARM MPUs and the Integra DSP + ARM processors are supported by a single hardware evaluation module (EVM) and a single TI EZ Software Development Kit (EZ SDK), allowing customers to evaluate their devices in minutes and begin development in less than an hour. The Sitara ARM MPUs and Integra DSP + ARM processors also share a common development environment to accelerate time to market and reduce development costs.

AM389x Sitara™ ARM MPUs features and benefits:

Feature	Customer Benefit
Performance: 1.5 GHz ARM® Cortex™-A8 core with devices available offering varying performance and power points to optimize power and cost	Offers speed, robust performance and operating system (OS) support (Linux now, Microsoft® Windows® Embedded Compact 7 and Android coming soon) to enable application processing, network connectivity, user interface and system control. This OS support eases development by allowing designers to get started developing quickly and offering designers an OS port from TI
Integration: Large set of peripheral options, including two-lane PCIExpress Gen2, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI TX, SATA 2.0 interfaces for up to two external drives, two 32-bit DDR2/DDR3 external memory interfaces at up to 1.6 GHz, two Gigabit Ethernet MACs (GEMAC) and two-channel video I/O	Provides seamless integration of high performance network connectivity options and peripherals into a single chip, simplifying the sourcing process by reducing the number of required chip suppliers and reducing development time and cost. PCIe enables high-speed connection to computer backplanes and FPGAs Gigabit Ethernet Mac (GEMAC) and USB 2.0 enable customers to add connectivity to new designs SATA allows high speed connectivity to mass storage DDR3 provides larger memory bandwidth, improving multiprogramming and overall system responsiveness and performance
Display and 3D graphics: Supports up to two high-quality displays at up to 1920 x 1280 resolution with an SGX530 graphics accelerator up to 333 MHz (AM3894) to render 3D graphics	Enables output of two different streams of content for up to two high-resolution displays simultaneously for applications requiring a seamless graphical multi-screen experience from one processor and allows for hardware accelerated 3D graphics (AM3894) for more complex GUIs
Software: TI EZ Software Development Kit supporting AM389x Sitara ARM MPUs and C6A816x Integra DSP + ARM processors	A free software package that allows easy evaluation of device (out-of-box experience) within minutes and development in less than an hour. It shortens development time with a single installation package that includes: development software and example code required to start development, operating systems, drivers for peripherals, connectivity and display, touch screen graphical application launcher, graphic development kit, example graphics and starter code.

Tools, pricing and availability

Development is made easy, and evaluation can begin in minutes with TI's comprehensive evaluation modules (EVM) and the free TI EZ SDK available on ti.com. Designers can begin development on the DDR2 version (TMDXEVM8168DDR2) today for $1,895. A DDR3 version with video capture capability is expected to begin shipping in 1Q2011. The TI EZ SDK for Linux is available for download. TI EZ SDK versions for Android and Windows® Embedded Compact 7 will be available in 1Q 2011.

Order entry is open today for the XAM3894CYG Sitara ARM MPU starting at $43.10 in 1,000 unit quantities (1 ku). The new high-performance C6A816x Integra DSP + ARM processors are pin-to-pin compatible with AM389x Sitara ARM MPUs and are also available for order today.

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) helps customers solve problems and develop new electronics that make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun. A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through design, sales and manufacturing operations in more than 30 countries. For more information, go to www.ti.com.

Trademarks

Integra, Sitara and DaVinci are trademarks of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks and registered trademarks belong to their respective owners.

SOURCE Texas Instruments