DSP Increases Performance, Shaves Price

Based on the enhanced TMS320C64x+ core, the TMS320C6452 digital signal processor is code-compatible with the TMS320C6415T DSP but costs 30% less. As a result, the broad base of C6415T customers can quickly and easily migrate their designs to the higher-performance C6452 chip. The device is designed to optimize price and performance for process-intensive, multi-channel infrastructure and medical imaging systems. It delivers double the L1 cache memory and 40% more L2 cache than the C6415T, giving customers more headroom to easily add differentiating features to their designs. The C6452 also includes two Gigabit Ethernet MAC ports and one gigabit switch, which greatly improves the efficiency of multi-chip designs by automatically monitoring the data stream to ensure that only the appropriate packets consume DSP performance. Additionally, the device is equipped with a Telecom Serial Interface Port (TSIP), providing a seamless connection to common telecom serial data streams, ultimately improving performance while increasing robustness and flexibility. The highly integrated device comes in a 19 mm x 19 mm, 361-lead BGA package. The company also announced the 1.2-GHz TMS320C6455 DSP—the industry's fastest single core DSP. Designed for the most processing-intensive applications requiring the highest performance and processor-to-processor communication, the C6455 combines high- bandwidth peripheral integration—a gigabit Ethernet MAC—Serial RapidIO and 2MB of L2 memory into a single device. Pricing for the 720-MHz TMS320C6452 starts at $94 each/10,000, while the 1.2-GHz C6455 is $245. An evaluation module for the C6452 is priced at $1,295, and a C6455 starter kit is $495. TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC., Dallas, TX. (800) 477-8924.