TI announces new DSP software and development kit

The folks at Texas Instruments have introduced their TMS320C6748 DSP development kit for real-time analytics applications such as fingerprint recognition and face detection, enabling systems to sense and analyze biometric information for enhanced access control.

The C6748 DSP development kit is also ideal for other digital signal processing applications, such as audio and communications. In addition, the C6748 DSP development kit comes pre-loaded with TI’s new C6748 SYS/BIOS Software Development Kit (SDK). This scalable development kit, available for the low price of $195, enables fast and easy development on the C6748 floating- and fixed-point DSP.

Easy to write and optimize DSP code
TI’s new C6748 SYS/BIOS SDK includes several demonstrations for biometric analytics applications, such as fingerprint recognition and face detection, offering a starting point for developing and demonstrating the real-time intelligence of TI’s C674x DSPs.

The SDK also includes the latest SYS/BIOS real-time kernel; the C6748 StarterWare software package, which provides lightweight, operating-system-independent software libraries and utilities; Code Generation Tools; as well as DSP core performance benchmarks that show the real-time processing power of TI’s C674x DSPs. The C6748 SYS/BIOS SDK enables developers to run demos in less than 10 minutes and begin creating DSP applications in less than one hour. In addition to the SDK, the C6748 DSP development kit includes Code Composer Studio integrated development environment (IDE) v5.1

Simple hardware development and expansion
TI’s C6748 DSP development kit also speeds and eases hardware development of real-time DSP applications. The board reduces design work with freely downloadable and duplicable board schematics and design files. With a wide variety of standard interfaces for connectivity and storage, developers can easily bring audio, video and other signals onto the board. In addition, expansion headers allow developers to add display and user interface technology, such as the camera board from Leopard Imaging and LCD screens, extending functionality of the development kit.

Software compatibility enables easy portfolio expansion
TI’s scalable platform provides a variety of performance, power, peripheral and price options, which gives developers the opportunity to use the platform to create a varied product portfolio of their own. TI’s C6748 DSP development kit is software and pin-to-pin compatible across TI’s C6748, C6746, and C6742 DSPs and software compatible with other TMS320C6000 DSPs.

In addition, developers can scale to the software and pin-for-pin compatible OMAP-L138 and OMAP-L132 DSP + ARM9 processors to add high-level operating systems such as Linux as well as control and networking functionality for applications such as industrial control, medical diagnostics, and communications.

Pricing and availability
TI’s C6748 DSP development kit is currently available for the low cost of $195. The C6748 SYS/BIOS SDK is pre-loaded with the C6748 StarterWare software package. Developers can obtain the SDK with a single download at TI.com, or download the StarterWare software package separately. The floating- and fixed-point C674x DSP generation is available today for a new low starting price of less than $5 in quantities of 10,000 units.

Additionally, an OMAP-L138 DSP + ARM9 development kit is available today for $195. This kit is supported by a new Linux SDK, which includes the OMAP-L138 StarterWare software package, as well as the GCC 4.5 tool chain, all available at no cost. The SDK enables developers to begin writing code in less than one hour.

Code Composer Studio IDE v5.1 is pre-loaded on both kits or can be licensed starting at $495.

TI also offers the OMAP-L138/C6748 evaluation module (EVM) for full-featured development. The EVM is available for $1,050.

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