Digital ICs/DSPs: On-Chip Viterbi Coprocessor Frees Up DSP For Additional Tasks

Balancing cost, memory needs, and performance, the TMS320C6418 DSP chip takes aim at telecommunications, soft-radio, and broadcast applications. Based on the TMS320C64x core, the 'C6418 packs 512 kbytes of level 2 cache, a Viterbi coprocessor, and an arithmetic unit that can perform up to 2.4 billion 16-bit multiply-accumulate operations/s (or 4.8 billion 8-bit MACs/s). The dedicated Viterbi coprocessor saves about 30% of the DSP engine's processing resources, freeing the engine to handle other tasks. Also on the chip are two multichannel serial ports, two audio serial ports, a 16/32-bit host interface, and two I²C serial control ports. Housed in a 23- by 23-mm flip-chip 288-contact BGA package, the 600 MHz version sells for $49.50 apiece in lots of 10,000 units.

Texas Instruments Inc.
www.ti.com/c6418pr