OMAP Processor Integrates MediaLB Interface

July 1, 2005
The newest processor in Texas Instruments' OMAP family integrates Standard Microsystems Corporation's (SMSC) MediaLB communication bus for interfacing to media-oriented system transport (MOST) multimedia networks. The processor targets automotive ...

The newest processor in Texas Instruments' OMAP family integrates Standard Microsystems Corporation's (SMSC) MediaLB communication bus for interfacing to media-oriented system transport (MOST) multimedia networks. The processor targets automotive infotainment products including digital media and hard disk drive-based head units. Additionally, TI and SMSC announced that TI and SMSC's Automotive Infotainment Systems (AIS) business unit have established a licensing agreement enabling TI to deliver automotive application processors that integrate SMSC's MediaLB communication bus, facilitating an interface to MOST multimedia networks. By selecting TI's OMAP processor with the integration of MediaLB, tier-one automotive suppliers will future-proof their designs due to the capability of interfacing with all existing and upcoming MOST speed grades and physical layers.

Key to efficient implementation of the MediaLB interface is the digital audio routing engine (DARtE), which provides the interconnection between the MediaLB interface, up to six I2S digital audio ports, and TI's digital signal processor. The DARtE performs multiple channels of hardware mixing, sample rate conversion, framing and scheduling of audio streams, offloading up to 100 MHz of DSP bandwidth and simplifying the management of multiple audio streams.

TI's automotive infotainment processor offers several features including USB 2.0-compliant full-speed host, client and on-the-go ports; secure digital memory card interface; integrated LCD controller with on-chip frame buffer; hardware ATA interface; and an on-chip 10-channel, 10-bit analog-to-digital converter and advanced ADC controller for supporting system-level functions such as monitoring radio signal strength or interfacing to low-cost gyroscopes. MOST multimedia networking technology enables new classes of multimedia application connectivity. It facilitates the efficient transport of real-time streaming multimedia and control and packet information over a single wire or optical fiber. This eliminates the need to run multiple buses throughout a vehicle and enables OEMs to decentralize infotainment functions into various components distributed around the vehicle.

Today's chip-to-chip interface solutions have lacked a high-speed, low pin-count bus capable of carrying all possible multimedia data types, including audio and video streams, and control and packet data for applications such as navigation map information. SMSC is working to establish MediaLB as an open industry standard to provide fast, powerful and cost-efficient solutions for these systems.

The MediaLB interface provides improved access to the MOST bus through a single interface, simplifying design and increasing overall throughput, while reducing pin count, system cost, chip size and overall power consumption. MediaLB reduces complexity and offers a synchronous and serial on-board and interchip communication bus to the MOST network. MediaLB is highly scalable. It is future-proof and will be used on all current and future SMSC MOST network ICs.

Currently sampling to automotive infotainment customers with evaluation modules to be available in the third quarter. TI anticipates that the newest OMAP processor for automotive infotainment products will receive AEC Q-100 qualification by the end of the year.
Texas Instruments • 800-336-5236www.ti.com

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