DALLAS, April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Facilitating rapid
and easier development with its multicore devices, Texas
Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today announced several
software updates for its multicore digital signal processors
(DSPs), including the new TMS320C66x DSP generation. TI's software
offerings consist of a new multicore software development kit
(MCSDK), optimized multicore software libraries, Linux kernel
support for the C66x DSP generation, and support for the OpenMP™
Application Program Interface (API). With these free, optimized
software offerings, developers can benefit from faster development
on TI's KeyStone multicore architecture and can take full advantage
of their multicore designs.
"Our goal has always been to provide developers with simple,
powerful options for development that makes multicore programming
easier," said Brian Glinsman,
general manager, communications infrastructure business, Texas
Instruments. "Simply put, software plays a key role in achieving
optimal performance in the design process, and TI's software
offerings provide unique features and benefits for multicore
developers, allowing them to start their designs on TI's multicore
platform today."
MCSDK
TI's MCSDK provides developers with a well integrated software
development platform encompassing efficient multicore communication
layers for intercore and interchip communication, validated and
optimized drivers integrated with SYS/BIOS, a real time operating
system (RTOS), and Linux support with appropriate demonstration
examples. With such an integrated approach, developers are free to
select suitable software for their needs, significantly reducing
development time. Developers can also use the same MCSDK for TI's
C66x and TMS320C64x+ high performance multicore DSPs enabling
software reuse and greater return on investment for the development
effort.
Linux support
Continuing to offer support for TI's multicore devices, Linux
kernel support is now available for the C66x DSP architecture. As
developers move towards open source as a key element of their
products, application developers can benefit from the availability
of Linux on TI's C66x DSPs by having less software to develop, and
focusing more on differentiating features and software in their
applications. In addition to supporting the C66x DSPs, which
includes the TMS320C6670, TMS320C6671, TMS320C6672, TMS320C6674 and
TMS320C6678 devices, as well as the TMS320TCI6618 SoC, Linux kernel
support is already available on TI's C64x+ DSPs.
Optimized libraries
TI offers optimized DSP libraries (DSPLIB) and image processing
libraries (IMGLIB) for its C66x DSP instruction set architecture.
TI's C66x DSP instruction set architecture is the industry's first
to support native fixed- and floating-point operations. Within the
year, TI plans to add new enhancements to the DSPLIB and IMGLIB
with additional kernels as well as provide optimized libraries for
vision analysis, cryptography, voice and fax. These libraries
implement commonly used optimized kernels providing significant
processing advantage for a variety of high-performance applications
including mission critical, test and imaging, image analytics and
vision analytics.
OpenMP API
TI plans to add support for OpenMP APIs to its optimized C66x
compiler and runtime software for the KeyStone multicore
architecture. The C66x DSPs are the first multicore devices to
support the OpenMP API. The OpenMP API is a portable, scalable
model that provides developers utilizing TI's multicore DSPs a
simple and flexible interface for developing parallel applications
in the mission critical industry, including public safety and
defense, medical and high-end imaging, test and automation and
high-performance computing.
"TI's KeyStone multicore architecture has an enviable footprint
in high-performance multicore applications," said Larry Meadows, CEO of the OpenMP ARB. "TI's
support of the OpenMP API is an important win for developers in the
embedded processing space and showcases the importance of the
OpenMP API at all levels of computing, from embedded systems to
supercomputers. We are very pleased to have TI's support and look
forward to working with them in the future."
Pricing and availability
Software updates are available from TI for free download today.
Additionally, all software updates are available on TI's low cost
evaluation modules (EVM), the TMDXEVM6670L and TMDXEVM6678L. Both
EVMs include a free MCSDK, Code Composer Studio™ (CCS) integrated
development environment (IDE) and suite of application/demo codes
to allow programmers to quickly come up to speed on the new C66x
DSPs.
TI's KeyStone Multicore Architecture
Texas Instruments' KeyStone multicore architecture is the
platform for true multicore innovation, offering developers a
robust portfolio of high-performance, low-power multicore
devices. Unleashing breakthrough performance, the Keystone
architecture is the foundation upon which TI's new TMS320C66x DSP
generation was developed. KeyStone differs from any other multicore
architecture as it has the capacity to provide full processing
capability to every core in a multicore device. KeyStone-based
devices are optimized for high-performance markets including
wireless base stations, mission critical, test and automation,
medical imaging and high computing. Learn more at
www.ti.com/c66multicore.
TI @ ESC 2011 and TI Tech Days
While at Multicore Expo, stop by TI booth #1530 at ESC to see a
number of demos and register for TI's Tech Days for access to a
full range of technical design seminars and training exhibits.
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments semiconductor innovations help 80,000
customers unlock the possibilities of the world as it could be –
smarter, safer, greener, healthier and more fun. Our commitment to
building a better future is ingrained in everything we do – from
the responsible manufacturing of our semiconductors, to caring for
our employees, to giving back inside our communities. This is
just the beginning of our story. Learn more at
www.ti.com.
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SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated