TI Korea (CEO Kent Chon, www.ti.com/kr) May 7, 2015 – TI (CEO Kent Chon) has launched a new product that reflects the requirements for high-speed data generation and processing products. The new KeyStone™-based, highly integrated System-on-Chip (SoC) solution, the 66AK2L06, signals a major shift in the market by integrating the JESD204B interface standard, enabling convenient direct connections to Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs), Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs), and Analog Front-Ends (AFEs). This not only reduces overall board space by up to 66% but also enables customers in the aerospace, defense, medical, and test instrumentation sectors to develop products that achieve higher performance while reducing power consumption by up to 50%. Additionally, developers can effectively utilize TI's programmable digital signal processing algorithms and a variety of pre-validated high-speed ADCs, DACs, and AFEs. TI provides a Multicore Software Development Kit (MCSDK) and an RF Software Development Kit (RFSDK) to enable the development of system-level solutions based on the 66AK2L06 SoC, thereby shortening time to market.

A New Dimension of Embedded SoC and System Integration

Based on TI's flexible, highly integrated Keystone multicore architecture, the 66AK2L06 SoC reduces system cost and power by integrating the Digital Front End (DFE) / Digital Down Converter-Up Converter (DDUC) and JESD204B interface. Furthermore, by integrating TI's industry-leading Digital Signal Processor (DSP) with ARM® Cortex® processors, it delivers up to twice the performance of today's competing software-programmable solutions. Each of the four TMS320C66x DSP cores provides up to 1.2 GHz of signal processing performance and supports floating-point operations, enabling faster and more precise programming. For processing complex control codes, dual ARM Cortex-A15 MPCore™ processors provide up to 1.2 GHz of processing performance, enabling real-time I/O access with low latency.

"TI's Keystone-based 66AK2L06 SoC is suitable for applications operating in power-constrained and harsh environments because it provides the best integrated processing performance based on adaptive power technology," said an MBDA official.

The Fast Fourier Transform Coprocessor (FFTC) module is accessible from all DSP cores and accelerates FFT and IFFT operations required in applications such as radar systems. Additionally, the Network Coprocessor (NETCP) is a hardware accelerator for processing data packets, primarily focused on Ethernet packet processing. It includes four Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) modules for transmitting and receiving packets from IEEE 802.3 standard networks, a packet accelerator (PA) for packet classification tasks such as header matching and packet manipulation tasks, and a security accelerator (SA) for encrypting and decrypting data packets.

Power savings and programmability through integration

Power: 50% and board area reduced by 66%

By applying adaptive power technology to the 66AK2L06, power can be reduced by up to 50% compared to competing devices that require cooling. In addition, the 66AK2L06 integrates broadband sample rate conversion and digital filtering up to 48 channels, eliminating the need for additional devices and allowing the board area to be reduced by up to 66%.

Software Programmability: 3x Faster Development Work

This SoC offers exceptional performance, configurability, and programmability, enabling product development up to three times faster than using currently available FPGAs or competing solutions on the market. With the 66AK2L06 SoC, developers can modify DFE configurations via software upgrades even during execution after deployment, and can also dynamically switch between various DFE configuration files stored in DDR or flash memory. By integrating the DFE with the JESD204B interface, users can change filters and perform optimizations via software in just a few days. Using an FPGA, this task would take several weeks.

The 66AK2L06 SoC can reduce overall system costs by up to 50% by increasing performance, lowering power, and reducing board area.

Simplifying digital data interfaces through JESD204B interface integration

JESD204B is a highly efficient industrial standard serial communication link that supports digital data interfaces between data converters and processors in high-speed applications such as test instrumentation, medical, defense, and aerospace. Along with the 66AK2L06 SoC, TI's JESD204B portfolio includes high-speed ADCs such as the 12-bit 4GSPS ADC12J4000 and the 16-bit 250MSPS ADS42JB69, high-speed DACs such as the 16-bit 2.5GSPS DAC38J84, and clocking products such as the LMK04828 clock jitter cleaner.

Reduced development time by providing comprehensive system solutions

TI provides the appropriate tools, software, and support necessary for customers to rapidly launch system solutions into the high-speed data generation and acquisition market. By enabling convenient software programming when designing with the 66AK2L06 SoC, manufacturers can seek product differentiation and respond more quickly to the ever-changing market demands. Developers can significantly reduce development time by utilizing TI's Keystone-based MCSDK and RFSDK. TI's development tools and runtime software support facilitate easier migration and development on multi-core ARM platforms. The MCSDK supports open-source Linux and TI SYS/BIOS™ operating systems. The 66AK2L06's XEVMK2LX EVM (Evaluation Module) includes the MCSDK and RFSDK, and is easy to use as it contains example files that can be run directly on the EVM. In addition, TI Designs is provided to enable customers currently using FPGAs to easily design through JESD204B, and additional hardware and software design support and new technology development support are available through various partners.

Supply timing

TI's 66AK2L06 is currently being supplied as samples and is scheduled for mass production in the third quarter of 2015.