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Low-cost Linux kit turns RISC/DSP SoC into handheld terminals

Sep 20, 2004 — by LinuxDevices Staff — from the LinuxDevices Archive — 11 views

Texas Instruments (TI) is delivering embedded Linux in a low-cost development kit for an ARM-plus-DSP SoC targeting the portable data terminal (PDT) market. The $295 OMAP5912 Starter Kit (OSK) includes a board, a MultiICE JTAG interface, and MontaVista Linux, with optional third-party support packages also available.

(Click for larger view of TI OSK)

TI's OMAP5912 is a dual-core SoC (system-on-chip) that launched in late March. It targets PDT applications that require high-level application support as well as high-performance signal processing in real-time, according to TI. The chip includes an ARM9 processor, TI's TMS320C55xx DSP (digital signal processor), and “PDT-focused peripherals,” such as accelerators for security and multimedia.


OSK development board block diagramt

TI's OSK includes a development board manufactured by Spectrum Digital. Board features include:

  • 192Mhz ARM9 (ARM926) core
  • 192Mhz Texas Instruments TMS320C55xx core
  • TLV320AIC23 codec
  • 32 Mbyte DDR RAM
  • 32 Mbyte Flash ROM
  • 4 Expansion connectors (bottom side)
  • RS-232 serial port
  • 10 MBPS Ethernet port
  • USB host/client port
  • On board IEEE 1149.1 JTAG connector for optional emulation
  • +5 Volt operation only, power supply included
  • Size: 5.55″ x 3.54″ (141 x 90 mm), 0.062 thick, 8 layers
  • Compatible with Spectrum Digital's OSK wire Wrap Prototype Card

Comes with Linux

According to TI, “Linux is the OS of choice for PDT designers,” and the company ships a Linux development environment with the OSK. The environment includes a prebuilt Linux kernel, chip- and processor-specific libraries, and an embedded Linux development toolsuite. The OSK also includes an OMAP-optimized build of TI's Code Composer Studio IDE, which TI says developers can use to optimize the real-time execution of their C applications on the chip's DSP and ARM cores.

The OSK additionally includes a TI and ARM MultiICE JTAG interface, which allows communications to a host computer via a JTAG emulator such as TI's XDS560 emulator, or any of Spectrum Digital's JTAG emulators.

Availability

The $295 OSK is available now. Bundled support services are also available from TI's network of OMAP Technology Centers, and from third-party support providers Mistral Software and Logic PD, which together offer a $5,000 Kick Start Bundle that includes an LCD module, a USB emulator from Spectrum Digital, and 20 hours of development assistnace.

Additional details about the development OSK are available here.


 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.



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