Why DSPs?

DSP technology advantages are obvious: High performance for intensive audio and video processing combined with low power consumption make DSPs a great match for multimedia portable embedded devices.

Why TI Dual-core DSPs?

Texas Instruments, the world leader in DSPs, produces dual-core processors to meet the increasing demands of the marketplace and the developers who must create advanced embedded markets with deadlines that are more aggressive than ever before. A dual core processor combines two processors, a General Purpose Processor (GPP) and a DSP into one compact chip. With thoughtful integration, the DSP+RISC on a single chip with a robust perhipheral set reduces system size and cost without sacraficing functionality.

The DSP handles specialized multimedia and other compute-rich tasks while the GPP runs the operating system and handles more general processing tasks.

TI's line of dual-core processors include the best of DSPs and mobile GPPs in one compact package -- TI DSP architecture and the ARM-based architecture of the GPP core. The TI dual core processor line is scaled with different price/performance points to match the requirements of a specific embedded device.

TI dual-core processors supported by RidgeRun include:

• TMS320VC5471: A 47.5 MHz ARM7 core and a 100MHz TMS320C5000 DSP core combined with a rich peripheral set provides a high level of utility for low-cost connected applications. Peripherals include two high-speed, full-duplex Multichannel Buffered Serial Ports (McBSPs) which allow the DSP core to interface directly with CODECs, a six-channel Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller, external memory interface, a software-programmable hardware timer, and a programmable phase-locked loop (PLL) for clock generation. Other features of the C5471 include two UARTs, a serial port interface (SPI), and 10/100 Ethernet. JTAG support for scan-based emulation of DSP and MCU cores packages is also provided.
   
  >> More about the TMS320VC5471
   
• TMS320VC5470: The C5470 is ideal for deeply embedded applications which do not require Ethernet connectivity. The C5470 includes all the same peripherals as the C5471 with the exception of the Ethernet interface module, which includes the 10/100 Ethernet MAC and Ethernet state machine.
   
  >> More about the TMS320VC5470
   
• TMS320DSC21: The DSC21 is a digital still camera system on a single chip, combining a TMS320C5000 DSP core with an 32-bit RISC (with Thumb instruction-set extension) GPP core. The chip includes a video encoder with on-screen display, SDRAM controller with a 320 Mb/sec. transfer rate, 30 fps (frame-per-second) NTSC and PAL previewing, and is capable of real time burst mode frame capture in conjunction with a 2 megapixel CCD. Multimedia formats supported include real-time MPEG1, MPEG4, JPEG, MJPEG, H.263 and MP3. Data communication standards supported include IrDA, USB, and RS-232.
   
  >> View the DSPLinux C5471 BSP Datasheet (PDF format)
   
• TMS320DSC24: An integrated multimedia processor capable of image and video loading and compression, audio processing, and communication with external devices through USB and RS-232 ports. The DSC24 combines a TMS320C5000 DSP core and a ARM7TDMI GPP core with integrated support for a variety of multimedia formats including MPEG4, JPEG, MPEG1, M-JPEG, H.263, mp3, AAC and QuickTime.
   
• OMAP1510: This member of the OMAP family is targeted for Smartphone (2.5g and 3g) and PDA use. The 1510 combines a TI-enhanced 175 MHz ARM 925 GPP core with a TMS320C55x DSP core. The chip supports a wide array of multimedia functions including MP3 decode and encode, plus text-to-speech, speech recognition, and Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR). Connectivity features include 16 bit QVGA Display, USB Client & Host Control, MMC-SD Support, Bluetooth interface, USB, uWire, camera, and an enhanced audio codec interface. The OMAP1510 combines power, efficiency, and connectivity into a compact package.