Evaluation Board promotes RapidIO® development, prototyping.August 11, 2008 -
Multi-platform solution, centered on Tsi620(TM) multi-standard RapidIO® Switch, also uses Texas Instruments' TMS320TCI6487 multi-core 3 GHz DSP and Altera® Stratix® III FPGA. Minimizing latency while allowing access to RapidIO processor clusters from FPGA without SerDes, solution allows use of RapidIO protocol for DSP or processor aggregation and offers communication with various PCI-enabled microprocessors via PMC connector. Ethernet and antenna interfaces are available.
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Original Press release
Tundra Semiconductor Corp.
603 March Rd.
Kanata, ON, K2K2M5
Canada
Tundra Introduces Multi-Standard RapidIO Evaluation Platform with Texas Instruments and Altera - Tsi620 Evaluation Platform Reduces Time-to-Market and Cost in High Performance Systems
OTTAWA, July 28 -- Tundra Semiconductor Corporation (TSX:TUN), a leader in System Interconnect, today introduced an evaluation platform centered on its Tsi620(TM) multi-standard RapidIO(R) Switch. In addition to the Tundra Tsi620, the multi-platform evaluation platform uses Texas Instruments (TI) TMS320TCI6487 high performance multi-core DSP and an Altera(R) Stratix(R) III FPGA to enable prototyping and, ultimately, cost reduction in applications such as high performance wireless and video processing, medical imaging and military signal-processing solutions.
The platform allows customers to use the RapidIO protocol for DSP or processor aggregation, while leveraging the Tsi620's hardware bridging to low cost PCI-enabled processors. The platform offers communication with a variety of cost competitive PCI-enabled microprocessors through a PMC connector, providing additional cost saving opportunities. TI's 3GHz embedded DSP delivers exceptional performance in computationally challenging applications. On the evaluation platform, the Tsi620 interfaces with Altera's Stratix III FPGA to leverage RapidIO over XGMII. This results in low latency while leveraging the RapidIO protocol and allows customers to access RapidIO processor clusters from an FPGA without SerDes. The complete solution allows customers to reduce their time-to-market, and the bill-of-materials (BOM) in end applications by over $100 compared to other solutions.
System OEMs can leverage the flexibility of the platform as a standalone evaluation board or in a MicroTCA(TM) chassis where RapidIO is running across the backplane. Designers can now go to market faster using this production-ready tool, to speed development and testing of application software and firmware.
"The Tsi620 evaluation platform leverages proven interoperability between Tundra switches and TI's high performance TCI6487 DSP," said Sandeep Kumar, Business Manager for Growth Infrastructure Markets at Texas Instruments. "TI's high performance application customers will benefit from the cost savings and acceleration to market offered by this combination."
"The Tsi620 multi-standard Switch offers our customers the option of bringing RapidIO features to their high volume designs, that also use PCI peripherals and non SerDes based FPGAs. We are committed to providing the market's best solutions with our customers' requirements in mind," said Tracy Richardson, Vice President Marketing, Tundra Semiconductor.
"The Tsi620 evaluation platform showcases the flexibility and performance of Altera Stratix III FPGAs," said David Greenfield, Senior Director of Product Marketing, High-End Products at Altera. "Altera is the first FPGA supplier to support RapidIO over XGMII, which is used by the Tundra Tsi620's FPGA interface port. This support brings the features of RapidIO to our non SerDes based FPGAs, and gives our customers an option to achieve latency advantages without the overhead of a SerDes for short reach RapidIO link applications."
"Tundra continues to bring innovative RapidIO solutions to the market, expanding the growing RapidIO ecosystem. The Tsi620 multi-standard evaluation platform offers the performance of RapidIO to silicon without RapidIO endpoints allowing system vendors to quickly develop applications leveraging RapidIO, PCI and non SerDes FPGAs that result in high performance with low BOM cost," said Tom Cox, Executive Director, RapidIO Trade Association.
Tsi620 Evaluation Platform Features
- AMC width board usable in MicroTCA or in standalone mode
- Tsi620 Multi Protocol Switch
- Texas Instruments TCI6487 DSP
- Altera Stratix III FPGA running RapidIO over XGMII to Tsi620
- Antenna interface to FPGA and DSP
- RapidIO 2x1 from Tsi620 to TCI6487
- RapidIO x4 to backplane and AMC finger connector
- Hardware bridging to PCI, PCI interface exposed to PMC connector
- DSP cluster extendable via backplane RapidIO
- Ethernet connectivity to FPGA and DSP available through RJ45 connectors
About Tundra
Tundra Semiconductor Corporation (TSX:TUN) supplies the world's leading communications, computing and storage companies with System Interconnect products and design services backed by world-class customer service and technical support. Tundra's track record of product leadership includes over a decade of bridges and switches enabling key industry standards: RapidIO(R), PCI, PCI-X, PCI Express(R), Power Architecture(TM), VME, HyperTransport(TM), Interlaken, and SPI4.2. Tundra's products deliver high functional quality and simplified board design and layout, with specific focus on system level signal integrity. Tundra's design services division, Silicon Logic Engineering, Inc., offers industry-leading ASIC and FPGA design services, semiconductor intellectual property and product development consulting. Tundra's technology connects critical components in high performance embedded systems around the world. For more information, please visit www.tundra.com.
TUNDRA and the Tundra logo are registered marks of Tundra Semiconductor Corporation in Canada, the European Union and the People's Republic of China (registration is pending in the United States). Design.Connect.Go. is a trademark of Tundra Semiconductor Corporation. Tsi620, Tsi578, Tsi576, Tsi574, Tsi572, Tsi568A, and Tsi564A are trademarks of Tundra Semiconductor Corporation. RapidIO is a trademark of the RapidIO Trade Association, Inc. Other registered and unregistered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Development of the Tsi5xx and Tsi6xx product portfolios were made possible in part with the assistance of the Technology Partnerships Canada Program.
(C) Copyright 2008 Tundra Semiconductor Corporation. All rights reserved.
Information subject to change without notice.
CONTACT: Keri Zeran, Director Marketing Communications, Tundra Semiconductor, (613) 592-0859 ext. 1744, (613) 697-6788, keri.zeran@tundra.com
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