SigC54xx Multiprocessor DSP Modules
 SigC5421-100-CONAN-16 Module Click here to see full-size picture
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Overview
The SigC54xx SODIMM, SIMM and CONAN modules provide multi-processor DSP solutions for telecom and internet routing infrastructure applications. These modules are low-cost, high-performance, and provide several advantages for OEM products:1) Base-board design is more straightforward and lower risk. Instead of 14 or more layers with DSPs laid out on both sides, consuming valuable board real-estate, your board product becomes less complex and more reliable to manufacture. For example, a 6U form-factor cPCI board can contain from 1 to 8 (eight) SIMM modules, packing up to 48 DSPs into half the 6U area. This high amount of DSP-density allows flexible configuration for product differentiation, and processor power to be added as needed for system upgrades
2) New modules can be planned in the "pipeline" easily, as faster and more capable DSP devices become available. This is also important for denser, faster SRAM devices, which are constantly under development as driven by the telecom and internet routing industries
3) For custom applications, it is straightforward to specify a module with fewer processors and more SRAM, or vice versa
4) Development system option, including high-speed PC plug-in interface card which interfaces to the C54xx "HPI" port, and provides broadcast (write-many) and read-one control and access to multiple DSPs
5) The SigC54xx modules can be used with SigSD4 and SigSD8 Audio Modules, to provide a dedicated multichannel sigma-delta analog I/O solution
6) Supported by standard, off-the-shelf software tools, including DirectDSP® and Hypersignal®-Macro software
7) OEM test, diagnostic, and production system option, including automated ICT with full-coverage DSP code tests
8) SIMM and SODIMM modules use "BGA" (ball grid array) format packaging for both DSP and SRAM devices. The BGA format offers higher IP security. It is very small and makes it more difficult to "probe" what the processor is doing; the multiple rows of BGA "balls" are not visible or accessible because they are under the chips and there is no space between the chips and the module PCB. If the DSP devices contain program data in onchip ROM, and it is not stored in the host PC, then security can be further increased by not bringing out the JTAG interface from the DSP.
9) The SIMM and SODIMM module approach can only accept the smallest, lowest power, less costly fixed-point DSPs being driven by telecom applications, so the overall solution is more cost-effective, compared to other multiprocessor boards on the market
Module Descriptions
The SigC54xx SODIMM, SIMM, and CONAN modules can be populated with (1) to (8) 100 MHz C549, C5409, C5416, C5402 or C542x DSPs and (1) to (6) 128k x 16 SRAM devices. The SRAM devices provide 64k x 16 of offchip Data memory, and 64k x 16 of offchip Program memory. JTAG signals are chained between DSPs and brought out to the module edge connector.
SigC54xx-SODIMM modules can contain up to three (3) DSP + SRAM sets, while their SIMM counterparts can contain up to six (6) sets for C549 and C540x devices, and eight (8) sets for C542x devices. The SigC542x-CONAN module contains eight (8) C5421 devices (16 total cores) and no external SRAM (each core has 132k x 16 onchip SRAM).
The SigC54xx SODIMM, SIMM, and CONAN modules are fully supported by the following off-the-shelf software development packages:
The DirectDSP sofware includes support for popular host programming environments, including MATLAB, C/C++ (MSVC and Borland), Visual Basic, and LabVIEW. See Software Support below for more information.
Specifications and Data Sheets
100 - 160 MHz TMS320C54xx 144-pin GGU package, with separate 1.6/1.8/2.5v and 3.3v core and peripheral voltages, 32k x 16 onchip SRAM
133 MHz TMS320C542x, 144-pin GGU package, with separate 1.8v and 3.3v core and peripheral voltages, 132k x 16 onchip SRAM
offchip 128k x 16 8 nsec SRAM, organized as 64k x 16 Data, 64k x 16 Program (C54xx only)
compatible with
JTAG signals are chained between DSPs and available at module edge
8-bit HPI host-port available at module edge
TDM/buffered serial ports and external interrupts available at module edge
SODIMM modules are 2.5" x 1.25" (not including socket)
72-pin SIMM modules are 4.75" x 1" (not including socket)
80-pin SIMM modules are 5.25" x 1" (not including socket)
CONAN modules (138-pin) are 0.875" x 4" (including CONAN connectors)
Development System
 Click here for detailed development system information |
SigC54xx Development Systems typically include:
development platform for multiple SODIMM modules. The development platform is an external board which connects to the host PC via a high-speed interface card and provides convenient access for development purposes. The development platform includes:
three (3) SODIMM module sites
JTAG header; JTAG signals chained between module sites
ac-dc adapter jack which provides 3.3v peripheral supply, and 2.5v or 1.8v core supply for up to three (3) modules
additional ATX power supply circuit and connector for module expansion
two (2) Xilinx XCS40 FPGAs which provide interface between host and module edge connectors. These devices may be reprogrammed to add application-specific inter-DSP and inter-module serial port, interrupt, and other communication configurations
headers for DSP serial ports, digital I/O, FLASH EEPROM site, and other user-defined expansion options
optional DSP Module Expansion Boards, which allow expansion up to eight (8) SIMM or SODIMM module sites
optional SigSD4 or SigSD8 Audio Modules, which provide multichannel 16-bit sigma-delta analog I/O
a high-speed host-interface card which connects to the development platform via 37-pin ribbon cable, and provides multiprocessor interface to the DSP modules using Texas Instruments' C54xx "HPI" format. One or a combination of DSPs can be controlled simultaneously, and accessed simultaneously on writes (broadcast mode), and individually on reads. Broadcast mode includes program (COFF) file download, reset, and run.
development system software, including DirectDSP, which provide:
direct access to multiple DSPs from MATLAB and C/C++ programs
visual signal flow environment for algorithm design, simulation, and analysis
code generation and debug
Click here for specifcations, images, and more information about the SigC54xx Development System, which has three (3) SigC54x-SODIMM module sites.
Software Support
SigC54xx modules, as well as other C54xx platforms such as the Texas Instruments DSK C542, DSK C5402, and Spectrum Digital EVMC54x boards, are supported by Signalogic off-the-shelf DSP software products designed for DSP-based data acquisition and C54xx DSP code development, including:
Hypersignal®-Macro and Hypersignal-Acoustic software series, which offer a number of simulation and real-time instrument functions. Simulation functions include DSP and math functions, time domain display (including waterfall, contour, magnitude, unwrapped phase), difference equation, digital FIR and IIR filter design, sampling rate conversion, frequency zoom, wavelet transform, minimum phase calculation, and many more. Instrument functions include spectrum analyzer, digital oscilloscope, stimulus & response measurement, continuous signal generation, real-time "snap-in" filtering, continuous disk record and generate, and more.DirectDSP® is a Windows library which provides low-level and high-level calls for user-defined C/C++, Visual Basic, MATLAB®, or LabVIEW® programs. DirectDSP includes low-level board control functions such as reset/run/hold, register access, block memory transfer, DSP executable file download, etc. High-level functions include waveform file acquire/generate, continuous signal generation, and execution of any arbitrary Hypersignal DSP or math function. DirectDSP® includes strip-chart recorder, digital oscilloscope and digital tape recorder demo program and source code examples.
The C54xx Source Code Interface contains numerous C54xx algorithms and functions in source and binary form, such as optimized FFTs, filters, matrix, transcendental, trig, signal manipulation function, board initialization and analog I/O examples, etc. These functions form the basis of higher-level software functions and instruments; modification can be used to customize Hypersignal or DirectDSP operation. User-defined C routine hooks are provided for real-time algorithm development. The C54xx Source Code Interface can be used as a basic foundation for user-defined real-time DSP systems and products.