New DSP + ARMÂ® Software Tools from Texas Instruments Dramatically Reduce DSP Development Starting Time from Hours to Minutes

Texas Instruments Oct 12, 2010

Free tools provide simple and powerful development options to make programming TI's DSPs effortless, fast and cost-efficient for ARM developers

DALLAS - Today, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) is launching two free software development tools to enable ARMÂ®, Linux(TM) and system developers to easily leverage the real-time, intensive signal processing power of the TMS320C6000(TM) digital signal processor (DSP) in TI's integrated floating- and fixed-point DSP + ARM processors. The C6EZRun and C6EZAccel software development tools allow ARM developers to quickly and easily program the DSP. This simplifies and accelerates the development process and reduces DSP development starting time, time-to-market and development costs.

Using C6EZRun, ARM and Linux developers can easily port their current ARM applications to run on the DSP without changing their ARM code or learning DSP architectures. Partitioning code between the DSP and the ARM cores offloads the ARM and allows the DSP to efficiently process signal-intensive algorithms, improving overall performance. Efficient partitioning of code from the ARM to the DSP can increase performance of certain algorithms by as much as 10 times. For system engineers looking to reduce development time by leveraging ready-to-use DSP software, C6EZAccel provides a framework to over 130 optimized DSP kernels, allowing them to add DSP functionality to their application and differentiate their product with TI-provided video, audio and voice codecs. With the C6EZRun and C6EZAccel software development tools, developers can quickly and easily leverage the DSP to add intensive real-time signal analysis and algorithm processing features to their applications. The tools are ideal for adding digital signal processing functionality such as digital room correction capabilities to an audio system, people-counting capabilities to a video system or power measurement and analysis to a power metering system.

C6EZRun and C6EZAccel software tools features and benefits

C6 Tool           Feature

                Creates ARM-side

                interfaces that

C6EZRun     abstract the DSP



                Developer may quickly

                partition code

                between the DSP and

                ARM



                A simple, familiar

                GNU Compiler

                Collection

                (GCC)-like interface

A framework that

                provides easy access

                to over 130

                optimized DSP

    C6EZAccel   kernels



                Ready-to-use

                algorithms that run

                on the DSP



                ARM-side API library

                that abstracts the

                DSP

C6 Tool                       Benefit

                Allows developers to program the DSP without

    C6EZRun     writing DSP code or changing their ARM code



                Offloads the ARM, allowing the DSP to handle

                intense calculations and optimizing overall

                system performance



                Enables developers to use an interface with

                which they are familiar when porting their

                ARM code, eliminating the need to learn

                about DSP architecture and underlying

                technologies

Allows systems engineers to add

                differentiation without writing DSP code,

                accelerating time to market for signal

                processing, analytics and medical

    C6EZAccel   applications



                Facilitates more efficient use of the

                processor, leading to fewer upgrades



                Enables engineers to use DSP functionality

                without knowing DSP architecture

Pricing and availability
The free C6EZRun and C6EZAccel software tools are available for download. The tools currently support the following C6000(TM)-based DSP + ARM processors and will expand to support future generations of floating- and fixed-point DSP + ARM devices:

C6EZRun                               C6EZAccel

OMAP-L138                            OMAP-L138

OMAP-L137                            OMAP-L137

OMAP3530                             OMAP3530

OMAP3525                             DaVinci(TM) DM6467

DaVinci DM3730                       DaVinci DM3730

Visit www.ti.com/c6run-prtf to download C6EZRun and www.ti.com/c6accel-prtf to download C6EZAccel.

About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) helps customers solve problems and develop new electronics that make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun. A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through design, sales and manufacturing operations in more than 30 countries. For more information, go to www.ti.com.

SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated

Web Site: www.ti.com