Product category:
Microprocessors, Microcontrollers and DSPs
News Release from: Analog Devices | Subject: Blackfin processors
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 30 January 2004
Dual-core device stars in embedded
processor line
Analog Devices has expanded its Blackfin processor family to include a new class of embedded processor, the ADSP-BF561, which integrates two identical Blackfin cores.
Analog Devices has expanded its Blackfin processor family to include a new class of embedded processor, the ADSP-BF561, which integrates two identical Blackfin cores This new product enables symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) and boasts performance of 750MHz and 1500 MMACs (million multiply-accumulate operations) per core
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 3 Feb 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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The company has also enhanced performance to 750MHz on its popular single-core ADSP-BF533 Blackfin processor, giving it the industry-leading performance position for a low-power embedded processor.
Furthermore, Analog Devices has revealed its product roadmap plans for the Blackfin family, including details of processors that will be brought to market over the next 12 months.
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To address the demands of next-generation, multifunction digital consumer products requiring both high processing performance and low power consumption, the dual-core ADSP-BF561 consists of two Blackfin processors allowing system designers to integrate both high-performance signal processing and non-real-time system control into a single device.
Each Blackfin core on the ADSP-BF561 has the ability to share memory blocks and peripherals with the other core, thereby allowing true flexible SMP and offering designers total control over system partitioning.
Through the inherent SMP capabilities, and by leveraging the dynamic power management feature in the Blackfin architecture, the ADSP-BF561 will achieve substantially higher processing performance at lower power consumption levels over heterogeneous multicore designs.
According to a recent Forward Concepts study, the market for embedded DSP products is $10.4 billion and growing vigorously.
ADI's Blackfin processors are aimed squarely at this market.
"With the introduction of this new series of Blackfin processors, Analog Devices now offers the most comprehensive suite of embedded processors to satisfy customer demand for low-power, affordable devices that handle audio and video processing for a broad range of consumer and automotive electronics", said Brian McAloon, Group Vice President and General Manager, Digital Signal Processing Systems Division, Analog Devices.
"Scaling from our five dollar embedded processor up to the 750MHz dual-core product, we can now meet the varying performance and time-to-market requirements of our customers shipping mainstream applications to a growing consumer audience".
ADI has added eight new members of the Blackfin processor family, for several target markets.
For media applications these include: a dual-core product with integrated 10/100 Ethernet MAC, PCI and host port, targeting networked, consumer-centric applications such as IP set-top boxes and media adapters; and two new products that integrate USB 2.0 OTG and LCD controllers, targeting portable, consumer media applications such as digital cameras, PDAs and portable media players.
These products also integrate ATAPI interfaces for media storage such as digital cameras, portable media players and media servers.
New for wireless handset applications is a processor with analogue baseband and RF interfaces for 2.5G and 3G wireless applications such as media-rich handsets, smart phones and PDAs.
For automotive and industrial applications, the company has developed: two new products that integrate CAN controllers for automotive infotainment/telematics systems and automotive safety systems, such as driver assistance applications; and two new products that integrate 10/100 Ethernet MAC with the Blackfin family for cost-sensitive networked applications.
The dual-core Blackfin ADSP-BF561 shares the same architectural elements of the base Blackfin core.
Included among these is the high-performance core itself that operates from a 0.8 to 1.4V internal core voltage and which delivers from 500 to 750MHz performance.
Each of the two cores on the ADSP-BF561 contains two multiplier/accumulators (MACs), two 40bit ALUs, four 8bit video ALUs and a single barrel shifter.
The computational units process 8, 16 or 32bit data from the register file.
The ADSP-BF561 integrates 328Kbyte of on-chip memory and includes 16Kbyte each of instruction cache and SRAM, 32Kbyte each of data cache and SRAM, and 4Kbyte of scratchpad SRAM; additional on-chip memory peripherals include 128Kbyte of Level 2, low-latency SRAM, a four-channel DMA controller and an external memory controller supporting any SDRAM, SRAM, Flash memory and ROM options.
On-chip functions include dual parallel peripheral interface units that support ITU-R 656 video data formats, two dual-channel full-duplex synchronous serial ports supporting eight stereo I2S channels, a UART with IrDA support, an on-chip PLL and a host of additional peripheral functions important to designers.
Packaging options include miniBGA and a sparse PBGA.
The company also disclosed a 25% price reduction for several of the currently shipping Blackfin family members including the ADSP-BF533 device in 500 and 600MHz speed grades.
New package options include the ADSP-BF531 at 400MHz available in a low-profile quad flatpack (LQFP).
Samples are now available for the 750MHz ADSP-BF533 and the ADSP-BF561 in 500/600/750MHz versions with production scheduled for Q2 2004.
Per-unit pricing for the ADSP-BF533 is $31.95 at 750MHz and $15.95 at 600MHz in 10,000-unit quantities.
Per-unit pricing for the ADSP-BF561 is $22.95 at 600MHz and $39.95 at 750MHz in 10,000-unit quantities.
ADI also offers a range of lower-cost Blackfin processors.
Per-unit pricing for the ADSP-BF531 at 400MHz, for example, is just $4.95 in 10,000-unit quantities.
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