The power of more: TI's TMS320C66x multicore DSPs offer industrial automation developers more performance, scalability and flexibility than ever before

DALLAS, Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ideal for processing-intensive applications in industrial automation markets, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) is offering developers the industry's highest performing, scalable and flexible multicore solutions based on its TMS320C66x digital signal processor (DSP) generation. Customers designing products such as smart cameras, vision controllers and optical inspection systems, will benefit from the ultra-high performance, combined fixed-and floating-point performance, and increased number of peripherals and memory per core that TI's C66x multicore DSPs deliver. In addition, TI is delivering a robust suite of multicore software, tools and support to ease development and get customers closer to tapping the full performance of C66x multicore DSPs.

"Our multicore DSPs offer performance and innovation like no other solution out there for industrial automation developers," said Brian Glinsman, general manager of TI's communications infrastructure and multicore business. "With four scalable C66x devices, and many more to come down the road, we offer customers a broad range of multicore solutions to choose from with superior levels of performance, flexibility, optimized software and ecosystem solutions, to accelerate their designs to market."  

Meeting the needs of industrial automation developers

With its C66x multicore DSP portfolio, TI offers improved compute performance, large on-chip memory and multiple high speed interfaces that enable industrial automation developers to easily implement advanced features and achieve higher system integration. With pin and software compatible platforms across TI's TMS320C6671, TMS320C6672, TMS320C6674 and TMS320C6678 DSPs, customers can design integrated, power and cost-efficient products across the range of their product portfolios.

TI's multicore DSPs are an ideal solution for high-end industrial automation products such as:

• Smart cameras
• Vision controllers
• Optical inspection systems
• Currency processing equipment
• Specialized surveillance systems
• Industrial printers and scanners

In addition, the C66x DSP core's fixed- and floating-point capabilities are highly suited for audio infrastructure products as well as vibration and acoustic analyzers. The real-time nature of TI's C66x multicore DSPs are also an excellent fit for high precision motion control and high channel count real-time process control systems like programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and programmable automation controller (PACs).

Easing development with multicore software and tools

TI is delivering significant updates to its multicore software kit and toolset, including Linux software, optimized libraries, support for the OpenMP programming model and a free multicore software development kit (MCSDK). The MCSDK includes demo software, showing a multicore image processing example and a fast Fourier transform (FFT) based signal processing example.  For the industrial automation market, TI also provides free software libraries, IMGLIB and VLIB, for image processing-oriented applications, and DSPLIB and MATHLIB for real-time signal processing support. The C66x processors are also software compatible with TI's existing TMS320C6000^™ DSPs, enabling vendors to reuse their existing software and preserve their investment in TI embedded processors.

Robust third-party ecosystem

TI's third-party network features a worldwide community of respected and well-established companies offering products and services that support C66x DSPs including multiple DSP hardware vendors and multicore software development tool vendors.

Availability

Development and evaluation of the C66x multicore devices is made easy with comprehensive low cost evaluation modules (EVM) available from TI. Designers can begin development on the C6678 multicore DSP with the TMDSEVM6678L for $399. The EVM includes a free MCSDK, Code Composer Studio™ integrated development environment (IDE) and suite of application/demo codes to allow programmers to quickly come up to speed on the new platform. Order entry is open today for the EVM. Pricing for the C66x multicore DSPs start at $99 for 1Ku and are also available for order today.

TI's KeyStone Multicore Architecture

Texas Instruments' KeyStone multicore architecture is the platform for true multicore innovation, offering developers a robust portfolio of high performance, low-power multicore devices. Unleashing breakthrough performance, the KeyStone architecture is the foundation upon which TI's new TMS320C66x DSP generation was developed. KeyStone differs from any other multicore architecture as it has the capacity to provide full processing capability to every core in a multicore device. KeyStone-based devices are optimized for high performance markets including wireless base stations, mission critical, test and automation, medical imaging and high performance computing. Learn more at www.ti.com/c66multicore.

For more information:

• Watch TI's multicore Ask The Experts series
• Engage with engineers and TI experts on the TI E2E™ Community and Multicore Mix
• Follow TI on Twitter
• Become a fan of TI on Facebook

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments semiconductor innovations help 80,000 customers unlock the possibilities of the world as it could be – smarter, safer, greener, healthier and more fun. Our commitment to building a better future is ingrained in everything we do – from the responsible manufacturing of our semiconductors, to caring for our employees, to giving back inside our communities. This is just the beginning of our story.  Learn more at www.ti.com.

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SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated