An inexpensive digital signal processor (DSP) with reduced power features that suit it especially well to the needs of digital cellular telephone systems currently is in sampling from Texas Instruments. Designated the TMS320C44, the new device is the first multiprocessing DSP to break the U.S. $100 barrier. It is especially designed for such computation-intensive, real-time applications as telecommunications digital telephony.
The 'C44 is a direct offshoot of the TMS320C40, which became the first DSP specifically designed for multiprocessor architectures when it was introduced in 1990. And because it is fully compatible with the earlier device, the 'C44 lets designers take advantage of new features without investing in additional development tools or software.
Among the new features available in the 'C44 are reduced pin count, low cost plastic packaging and special power reduction capabilities. TI enhanced the 'C44's communications ports with port direction pins and a port reset function to ease processor interfacing in parallel processor designs. The 'C44 maintains the same dual-bus architecture as the 'C40, allowing the processor to access both local and global memory space. This provides superior data throughput in shaded-memory multiprocessor systems.
Because it was developed with 0.7-micron, double-level-metal CMOS technology, the `C44 consumes 10 percent less power than the earlier 'C40. In addition, the new 'C44 features a clock-stop power-down mode that reduces power consumption to the micro-Amp range when the processor is in a sleep state. The ability to reduce power consumption during off-peak periods will mean important cost savings for high volume communications systems.
"The 'C44 is one of those application enablers that only come along once in a great while," said Tony Agnello, president of Ariel Corporation, which produces multiprocessor DSP boards. "It undoubtedly is the solution that will finally make floating point multi-processing affordable for high-volume DSP applications."
A 40-MHz version of the new DSP, priced at only $99 in 10,000-unit quantities, breaks the $100 barrier. A 50-MHz version is sampling now and a high-speed, 60-MHz edition is scheduled during the current quarter. The surface-mountable 'C44 is packaged in a 304-pin plastic quad flatpack (PQFP).
January 1995, vol. 12, no.1
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