New Set Top Box Design Kit Combines TI's DSP Solutions with ISI's Development Environment
Design Kit Simplifies Set Top Box Design
DALLAS, Texas and SUNNYVALE, California (Feb. 9, 1998) -- An advanced Set Top Box Design Kit that enables rapid development of differentiated digital signal processor-based digital set top box (STB) systems and gets them to market quickly was announced today by Texas Instruments (TI) (NYSE: TXN) and Integrated Systems, Inc. (ISI) (NASDAQ: INTS).
The Set Top Box Design Kit combines TI's TMS320AV7000 series of single-chip STB digital signal processor (DSP) solutions with ISI's pSOSystem™ real-time operating system (RTOS) and networking products and
pRISM+™ development environment. The Design Kit's integrated approach reduces STB time to market by providing a complete platform to allow the developer to focus on building the application-specific software that differentiates the STB.
"The combination of these products provides the developer with unequaled capabilities to configure and design digital set top boxes. Set top boxes for digital broadband applications are gaining popularity, and ISI is providing the embedded networking tools required to make this technology accessible to mainstream markets," said David St. Charles, president and CEO of ISI.
"This integrated Design Kit allows STB developers to leverage the individual strengths of the TI and ISI products," said Tammy Gray, TI's 'AV7000 marketing manager. "The 'AV7000 series gives STB developers the ability to differentiate using features like advanced graphics acceleration to create compelling user interfaces. ISI's powerful STB software and development tools facilitate shorter software development cycle times, making these products available to the market quicker."
TI's 'AV700 single-chip architecture integrates a 32-bit, 40 million instructions per second (MIPS) ARM7TDMI reduced instruction set (RISC) processor, transport/decryption module, traffic interface manager, MPEG-2 video decoder, MPEG audio decoder, advanced graphics accelerator and an NTSC/PAL encoder. The 'AV7000 series includes devices specifically targeted to Digital Satellite System™ and Digital Video Broadcast applications.
ISI's pSOSystem and pRISM+ provide the most advanced system level software and development environment available for the 'AV7000 series. ISI's STB software includes the pSOS+ RTOS, the widest selection of
networking protocols available, on-screen display graphics support, common STB peripheral device drivers and World Wide Web enabling software modules. The pRISM+ development environment combines traditional compilers and debuggers with advanced browsers, source control, documentation, automated build and system analysis tools under one integrated development environment.
Pricing and Availability
The Set Top Box Design Kit for 'AV7000-series products is planned to be available in 1Q98. STB customers will be able to contact their local ISI sales office to receive an evaluation copy of the ISI software, which includes board support for TI's 'AV7000 series development platform. Pricing and availability of the 'AV7000 series development platform is available to customers from their local TI sales representative.
For more information about TI's 'AV7000 and set top box solutions, please visit 
http://www.ti.com and for information about the pSOS+ RTOS
and pRISM+ development environment, please visit http://www.isi.com.
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