-- New C5506 DSP enables New Markets through USB Connectivity and Generous On-
Chip Memory at an Affordable price
HOUSTON, Oct. 31 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Continuing to drive innovation in
low power audio/voice applications, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI)
(NYSE: TXN) announced today the lowest-power addition to its line of ultra
low-power programmable digital signal processors (DSPs). The new TMS320C5506
DSP requires just 0.12 mW of power in standby mode and includes other power-
efficient features that make it the lowest-power processor in its class. A
full 128 KB of on-chip memory makes for greater programming ease, and a full-
speed USB 2.0 interface supplies cost-efficient wired connectivity. Among
the many high-volume applications that can benefit from the C5506 DSP’s low-
power, memory, connectivity and affordability are touch screen controllers,
USB headsets, cordless phones and hands-free car phone kits. For more
information, please visit http://www.ti.com/c5506pr .
In a Forward Concepts survey included in its recent report, "DSP
Strategies: Embedded Chip Trend Continues," the results clearly indicated
that DSP designers named development tools and power consumption as the top
two considerations when selecting the optimal DSP chip for their designs,
such as portable devices. Will Strauss, President of Forward Concepts said,
“TI’s attention to the needs of their customers is certainly reflected in
the new C5506 DSP, which delivers the industry’s lowest standby power
consumption." He went on to say, "With its current comprehensive power
management tools, TI empowers developers to drive down power consumption to
levels that are hard to beat.”
A new option in TI’s low-power programmable DSP portfolio
TI’s new C5506 DSP joins a feature-rich line of extremely low-power
multimedia processors that includes the TMS320C5509A, C5507 and C5503 DSPs.
With the introduction of the C5506 DSP, system developers have a low-voltage,
lower cost option that reduces power consumption even further to minimize the
drain on batteries and prolong time between charges. Attributes of the C5506
that keep power consumption to a minimum include:
-- The industry’s lowest standby power (0.120 mW at 108 MHz
and 1.2 V)
-- Very low core and memory operating power (for example, 58
mW at 108 MHz)
-- Dynamic frequency and voltage scaling
-- Multiple standby modes that turn off individual
peripherals and internal functions
-- 128 KB of SRAM for efficient code fit and minimal
off-chip memory access
-- Power optimization tools to aid in low-power design
Other integrated features that simplify design and help reduce system
costs include a USB 2.0 full-speed port for PC connectivity, three MCBSP
ports, three timers, I2C bus, six-channel DMA, 16-bit EMIF, and 36 GPIO. The
large number of I/O ports aid in peripheral device connectivity. This also
gives a good low power, low cost roadmap to customers migrating from the
TMS320C54x(TM) DSP generation with needs for USB connectivity, higher
performance or SDRAM memory connectivity. The success of the C5000 DSP
platform means that hundreds of off-the-shelf algorithms are available for
TMS320C5506(TM) DSP designers to save valuable time-to-market.
New markets for small multimedia systems
The C5506 DSP is an excellent solution for mass-market applications that
require real-time signal processing performance yet need to keep power
consumption low. Touch screen controllers are moving to DSP-based control
for greater precision, lower cost and greater functionality. PC-connected USB
headsets require plenty of processing for noise reduction, echo cancellation
and audio streaming. Hands-free car phone kits and cordless handsets used in
wireless LANs, VoIP phones, deck phones, and other portable applications need
a modem signal processor with low standby power for extensive ultra low power
idle modes. In each of these cases, the C5506 DSP provides the right
combination of low power consumption, MIPS, memory, connectivity, small form
factor and affordability for the application. The C5506 DSP’s advantages
allow developers of these and other portable systems to create more robust,
less expensive products with enhanced appeal for consumers.
“The C5506 DSP allows TI customers to reduce costs and add features that
can open new markets for their products,” said John Dixon, low power DSP
product marketing manager, Texas Instruments. “This low-cost USB-enabled
device extends the capabilities of TI’s low-power DSP offerings, showing
that TI continues to provide leadership in affordable portable
communications.”
Low-power development support
Developers using the C5506 DSP can rely on the TMS320C55x(TM) Power
Optimization DSP Starter Kit (DSK), a comprehensive set of tools that reduces
the time needed to find power bottlenecks in a design. For more information
on these tools, visit http://www.ti.com/lowpoweroptimizationpr .
With the DSK, developers can accurately plan, analyze, manage and
optimize real-time power consumption. Among its many features, the DSK
includes:
-- Power planning tools that allow developers to easily and
quickly create trial configurations for determining power
consumption for various memory and peripheral
combinations.
-- Power Manager in DSP/BIOS(TM) kernel, a software module
that enables developers to automatically implement power
saving strategies at an operating system level.
-- Power Scaling Library to support dynamic control of
run-time core frequencyand voltage based on application
mode and performance requirements.
-- LabView(TM)-based Power Measurement Tool from National
Instruments, providing visual measurement and analysis
that allows developers to accurately profile power
consumption based on actual application behavior.
Power Management Reference Designs
TI further simplifies power system design in portable applications with
complete power management reference designs optimized to support C55x DSPs,
available at http://www.ti.com/dsppower . Developers can select highly
efficient, small size and feature-rich low-power DC/DC converters, linear
dropout (LDO) regulators and supply voltage supervisors. TI also enables
longer battery run-time and system protection through intelligent battery
management chargers, capacity monitoring and protection ICs.
Availability, packaging and pricing
The TMS320C5506 DSP is now available in volume from TI and TI Authorized
Distributors. The device is packaged in a 12 mm × 12 mm microBGA, with
suggested pricing of $5.75 in quantities of 10,000 units. For more
information, please visit http://www.ti.com/c5506pr . TI also offers a
complete portfolio of power management products that can work with the C5506
DSP.
Abbreviations and acronyms:
BGA: Ball grid array MHz: Megahertz
BIOS: Basic Input/Output System MIPS: Millions of
instructions per second
DMA: Direct Memory Access mm: Millimeter
DSK: DSP Starter Kit mW: Milliwatts
DSP: Digital Signal Processor MCBSP: Multi-Channel
Buffer Serial Port
EMIF: Enhanced Memory Interface SRAM: Static Random
Access Memory
GPIO: General Purpose Input/Output TI: Texas Instruments
Incorporated
I2C: Inter-Integrated Circuit USB: Universal Serial Bus
KB: Kilobytes V: Volt
LAN: Local-Area Network VoIP: Voice over the
Internet Protocol
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog
technologies to meet our customers’ real world signal processing
requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company includes the
Educational & Productivity Solutions business. TI is headquartered in
Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than
25 countries.
Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at
http://www.ti.com .
Trademarks
TMS320C54x, TMS320C5000, TMS320C55x and DSP/BIOS are trademarks of Texas
Instruments. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property
of their respective owners.