News and New Products

Tiny module fits DSP applications

By Warren Webb -- EDN, 10/16/2003

Traquair Data Systems recently announced the ultracompact UC1394a-1 multichip embedded-DSP module with supporting evaluation kits for DSP and embedded-image-processing applications. The module provides developers with a 400-MIPS programmable Texas Instruments (www.ti.com) TMS320C5509 DSP processor, a Xilinx (www.xilinx.com) 50,000 gate Spartan-II FPGA, 400-Mbps FireWire communications, and other I/O capabilities in a 30×36-mm, 116-pin, surface-mount PLCC package (Picture). The onboard FireWire interface can stream data at rates as high as 32 Mbytes/sec for a high-bandwidth serial-communications link with PCs or other embedded equipment.

The FireWire interface has optional camera-frame-capture software, allowing the onboard DSP and FPGA resources to capture and process image data. The UC1394a-1 module-I/O capabilities include RS-232, USB, multichannel buffered serial ports, I²C, JTAG, integral analog-to-digital conversion for four analog inputs, and user-configurable digital I/O. The UC1394a-1 is available now for $500 (100) and prices for evaluation-module kits start at $3125.

Traquair Data Systems Inc, 1-607-266-6000, www.traquair.com.