New Texas Instruments TMS320C6455 DSP Offers Incredible System Performance Gain Due to 2x-12x Boosts in Performance and I/O Bandwidth

"The C6455 from TI supports our strategy for next generation DSP modules by enabling a step up in system performance for infrastructure applications requiring multiple DSPs per board while preserving our software investment," said Paul Virgo, director BPO marketing, Motorola Embedded Communications Computing. "By combining low power per channel, delivered by the 90nm process technology, with an easy to implement Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure, the C6455 will allow us to enhance our range of building blocks and Application- Enabling Platforms."

A High Data Bandwidth Device Architecture

The new C6455 DSP, 100 percent code compatible with previous TMS320C64x(TM) devices, incorporates Serial RapidIO and other new high bandwidth peripherals. New peripherals and features of this chip, as compared to previous 1 GHz C64x(TM) DSPs, include:

   *  Serial RapidIO, featuring up to 25 Gbits/sec interconnectivity,
      enabling high performance multi-processing that is 12 times faster
      than previous external memory interfaces;
   *  Gigabit Ethernet MAC (Memory Access Controller) offering 10 times more
      Ethernet bandwidth than previous C64x devices;
   *  DDR2 (Double Data Rate) external memory interface delivering twice the
      throughput of currently available devices;
   *  66 MHz PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus interface providing
      twice the frequency of previous processors;
   *  2 MBytes of L2 Memory giving OEMs twice the amount of memory as
      previous C64x devices.

Serial RapidIO Offers Increased Bandwidth for HD Video and Telecom Infrastructure

The C6455 DSP's integrated industry-standard Serial RapidIO bus decreases overall system cost by reducing the need for additional devices used for switching and processor aggregation. Supported by an industry association of leading device, system and software manufacturers, the Serial RapidIO interconnect enables high-speed, packet-switched peer-to-peer connectivity. Serial RapidIO thus makes it much easier to implement multi-processing, providing a performance breakthrough for multi-channel implementations on multiple processors. For video infrastructure applications, a 1x link is fast enough to send high-definition (HD) 1080i raw video between devices and a 4x link can easily send HD 1080p raw video between devices with bandwidth to spare. The use of Serial RapidIO in infrastructure applications with large "DSP farms" will allow the reduction of system cost (device count, board size and/or device cost) for OEM customers.

New C64x+ Core: More Performance, Smaller Code Size and 100% Code Compatible

The enhanced C64x+ DSP core on which the C6455 DSP is based adds new specialized instructions that on average, make code 20 to 30 percent more compact and 20 percent more cycle efficient than code based on TI's current advanced C64x DSP architecture. The new instructions include complex and 32- bit wide multiplications and simultaneous add/subtract instructions, increasing Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) performance. The core can execute eight 16x16 multiply and accumulate instructions per cycle, twice as many as the current C64x DSP core. Since the new C64x+ instruction set is a superset of the C64x instructions, software for the new device is 100 percent object code compatible with code for existing C64x DSPs, permitting customers to leverage their software investment and get started with the new C6455 DSP right away. Benchmarked independently by Berkeley Design Technology, Inc. (BDTI), an independent analyst firm, TI's C64x+ DSP Core at 1 GHz received a BDTIsimMark2000(TM) of 10980, the highest score BDTI has published for a DSP to date. (The BDTIsimMark2000(TM) provides a summary measure of DSP speed. For more info and scores, see http://www.bdti.com/ . Scores (C) 2005 BDTI.)

"TI's heavy lifter C64x+ based enhanced engines can now talk to each other at high speed in multiprocessing configurations," said Max Baron, principal analyst at In-Stat. "The Serial RapidIO on the C6455 has the high bandwidth and protocols to enable increases in infrastructure and imaging system performance at lower cost through reduction of chip count and board area."

"As the telecom, imaging, networking and video industries continue to develop new services, the C6455 DSP's programming flexibility allows developers to keep pace with changes in standards and to quickly implement multiple voice and video codecs in their system designs," said Thomas Brooks, DSP platform marketing manager, TI.

Comprehensive Support Speeds Development

TI's Code Composer Studio(TM) integrated development environment (IDE), the industry's most comprehensive and intuitive IDE for DSPs, includes the industry's most advanced optimizing C compiler and code-tuning development tools. The industry's most robust network of DSP third parties helps simplify development and speed time-to-market with algorithms for applications such as videoconferencing, voice and video gateways, media servers and advanced Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) messaging. Because the C6455 DSP is 100 percent code-compatible with earlier C64x DSPs, customers can start development immediately leveraging the C compiler, assembler, linker and simulator available today.

High-Speed Amplifier Well-Suited for Infrastructure and High-End Imaging

TI also offers the THS4509, the lowest noise, lowest distortion fully- differential amplifier for driving high-speed analog-to-digital converters (ADC) such as the ADS5500 14-bit, 125-MSPS ADC. TI's high-performance analog and DSP products provide a state-of-the-art signal chain for wideband applications. For more information on THS4509 please visit http://www.ti.com/ths4509 .

Availability, Packaging and Pricing

Based on TI's advanced 90-nanometer CMOS (complementary metal-oxide- silicon) technology, the TMS320C6455 DSP will be offered by TI in 1 GHz, 850 MHz and 720 MHz versions. Order entry for pre-production units will open on June 27, 2005 with initial shipments in third quarter 2005. Volume production is scheduled for the second quarter of 2006. The device will be available in a 697-pin 24 x 24 mm BGA (ball grid array) package. Planned pricing is $259 per 1 GHz unit, $219 per 850 MHz unit, and $179 per 720 MHz unit in quantities of 10K units.

Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company's businesses include Sensors & Controls, and Educational & Productivity Solutions. 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/

Product Reviews for the TMS320C6455 DSP

"The C6455 from TI supports our strategy for next generation DSP modules by enabling a step up in system performance for infrastructure applications requiring multiple DSPs per board while preserving our software investment. By combining low power per channel, delivered by the 90nm process technology, with a simple Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure, the C6544 will allow us to enhance our range of building blocks and Application-Enabling Platforms."

Paul Virgo, director BPO marketing, Motorola Embedded Communications Computing

"TI's new C645x processors will provide NMS with superior performance for audio and video processing. The combination of cost reductions brought on by TI's advanced silicon processes, which combined with the high performance, low power dissipation and a wide range of physical interfaces gives our developers a real edge in scalable, network-ready, packet media applications."

Brough Turner, CTO, NMS Communications

"Our customers for carrier-class video headend equipment value SkyStream's higher stream density per chassis and support for HD. TI's code-compatible TMS320C64x(TM) DSP roadmap and larger on-chip memory will allow us to take advantage of improved system performance for our MPEG-4 AVC encoder offering."

Kirby Kish, Director, product marketing, SkyStream

"2005 has seen substantial developments and market demand from OEMs for the Serial RapidIO(R) interconnect, plus accelerated growth in the RapidIO ecosystem, specifically in terms of new product introductions. The Serial RapidIO interconnect on TI's TMS320C6455 DSP will help enable increased system performance for OEMs creating multiprocessing applications in video infrastructure, telecom infrastructure and medical imaging."

Iain Scott, executive director, RapidIO Trade Association

"Heterogeneous solutions that include both DSPs and FPGAs are common for customers building multiprocessing applications like video infrastructure, telecom infrastructure and high resolution imaging. This will be done easier and with higher bandwidth now that Serial Rapid IO is in the arsenal of both TI and Xilinx. DSP processors do a great job for real-time signal processing. Xilinx solutions complement DSPs with FPGAs that provide the classic answer to logic consolidation, new peripheral or bus interface implementation, and performance acceleration in the signal processing chain."

Ron Digiuseppe, IP Cores senior marketing manager, Xilinx

"With the growing demand for increased I/O bandwidth and DSP multiprocessing, designers can look to TI's new C6455 DSP with integrated high-speed serial RapidIO and Tundra Semiconductor's new Tsi564A serial RapidIO switch to provide a seamless connection between multiple C6455's, FPGAs and ASICs. Where other interconnect options are limiting, designers will be able to use the Tsi564A and Serial RapidIO to fully leverage the flexibility and power of TI's C6455 DSPs to provide designers with maximum scalability over a wide range of applications."

Tom Wilson, director of product management, Tundra Semiconductor

"The C6455 DSP's processing performance and I/O capabilities perfectly address our customers demanding application requirements. As software defined radio systems migrate towards XMC and VXS, the C6455 DSP's native Serial RapidIO(TM) will allow us to support those interfaces directly."

Robert Sgandurra, product manager, Pentek, Inc

"TI's new C645x generation of processors will enable ZONARE to continue its leading edge advancements in diagnostic imaging with higher resolution, increased frame rates and adaptive image processing algorithms through the use of the increased internal memory, improved code efficiency and higher data throughput."

Glen Mclaughlin, CTO, ZONARE

"Mango DSP's Seagull PCI 2 and Bluejay 2 cards powered by eight to sixteen C645x DSPs running at 1 GHz will allow our partners to upgrade their HDTV 1080p WM9 and H.264 encoders. The C645x added processing power allows running more compression tools increasing quality and reducing bit-rate. Additionally, multiple 1080i channel will run off a single card. The enhanced I/O allows for better DSP connectivity as well as raw video capture."

Joel Rotem, director of technical sales, MangoDSP

"The TMS320C645x processors from Texas Instruments integrate new powerful peripherals such as DDR support and 2 MB of internal RAM. This opens new horizons for advanced video compression standards such as H.264 and WMV9TM in the streaming media and video security markets. Integrating this new DSP in our multimedia products will provide us a key technology advantage over our competitors."

Marc Guillaumet, marketing director, ATEME

"The Serial Rapid IO(TM) and gigabit Ethernet capabilities of the C6455 DSP, in conjunction with its increased core performance, provide an optimal balance to drive large-scale infrastructure video + voice applications, such as video conferencing, voice and video gateways and media servers and advanced CTI messaging applications."

Avi Fisher, CTO, Surf Communication Solutions

"The C645x processors offer increased core and memory performance, which combined with its Serial RapidIO(TM) capabilities make it the optimal platform for broadcast-quality video encoding, transcoding and transrating software, especially for new HD video applications. Broadcast media equipment manufacturers now have solutions for their HD video needs."

Sami Levi, president & CEO, Ingenient Technologies

CONTACT: Christy Brunton of Texas Instruments Incorporated,
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tfrost@golinharris.com , for Texas Instruments Incorporated. Please do not
publish these numbers or email addresses.

Web site: http://www.ti.com/
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