Texas Instruments will license and support MontaVista Linux directly, as part of a digital video development kit supporting its DaVinci RISC/DSP processors. TI's DaVinci Technology Development Kit (TDK) for digital video applications will also include software integration and system visualization technology, and is expected to ship in Q3. It targets IP-set top boxes, video phones, video security systems, and other advanced digital video applications.

TI's DaVinci or DM644x-series RISC/DSP SoCs combine ARM cores with TI's most modern DSPs (digital signal processors), previously available only as separate co-processors. TI began shipping the first DaVinci chips late last year. When it first announced the DaVinci product family, TI promised to deliver an “unprecedented” level of hardware/software integration with the chips, including complete operating systems, tools, and ready-made “software frameworks” that had been “previously built by OEMs.”

TI's newly announced DaVinci TDK for digital video applications includes a Linux BSP (board support package) developed and optimized for video applications by MontaVista. It also includes MontaVista's eclipse-based DevRocket development suite. DaVinci TDK customers will license and receive support for these MontaVista products directly from TI.

The DaVinci Kit also includes software integration and system visualization technology aimed at helping developers integrate and tune complex systems, TI says. This technology includes:

• an “eXpressDSP Configuration Kit” aimed at helping create cusom codec bundles for specific applications
  • Includes TI's video, imaging, speech, and audio codecs
  • Supports custom codecs compliant with TI's eXpressDSP Digital Media (xDM), TI's codec engine framework, DSP/BIOS real-time kernel, and TI's DSP/BIOS Link IPC (interprocess communication technology)
  • Simplifies code reuse
  • Lets developers integrate discrete software modules and combine them into a single executable output, avoiding “months of tedious manual integration”

• TMS320DM644x SoC Analyzer based on eXpressDSP Data Visualization Technology
  • Captures and graphically displays system interaction, load distribution, and other types of behavior
  • Displays DSP and ARM tasks on a single timeline
  • Minimally invasive
  • Identifies bottlenecks
  • Claimed to be the first tool to provide “complete system visibility”

Additionally, a version of the kit aimed at new TI licensees will add an emulator, and version 3.2 of TI's Code Composer Studio integrated development environment (IDE).

Availability

The digital video software development kit based on DaVinci technology will ship in Q3, as part number TMDSSDK6446-L, with introductory pricing set at $7,000, according to TI. A TMDSSDK6446-3L model that includes Code Composer Studio and an emulator will start at $11,000. Both TDKs require digital video evaluation modules (DVEMs) that are available from TI separately.

 
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