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TI's New DaVinci(tm) Technology Development Kit Simplifies Design Effort for

8th June 2006
ES Admin
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Unprecedented Tools Radically Improve Software Integration and System Visibility

Continuing to streamline the creation of innovative

digital video systems, Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) (TI) today announced a

new digital video software development kit based on DaVinci(tm) technology.

The new software development kit incorporates exceptional software

integration and system visibility technology to integrate and tune complex

systems quickly and efficiently.



System designers will use the software development kit to have even greater

access to TI's DaVinci technology, the industry's most powerful combination

of video hardware and software. The new kit includes the eXpressDSP(tm)

Configuration Kit, TMS320DM644x SoC Analyzer based on eXpressDSP Data

Visualization Technology and MontaVista's Linux to help reduce the

application development cycle from months to weeks. Developers will use the

kit to create and tune optimized IP-set top boxes, video phones, video

security systems and other advanced digital video applications.



"To create our smart surveillance camera reference design, we took advantage

of TI's new software development kit and DaVinci technology to achieve

optimum system performance and simultaneously shaved more than three months

off of our expected development time," said Upendra Patel, chief technology

officer, eInfochips. "The complete package consisting of multimedia codecs,

MontaVista Linux and framework components with DaVinci technology enables us

to deliver high performance and feature-rich solutions addressing the needs

of target market segments."



New capabilities streamline video system development

The eXpressDSP(tm) Configuration Kit, included in the new software

development kit, allows system integrators to integrate discrete software

modules and combine them into a single executable output for the system,

avoiding months of tedious manual integration. By making it possible to

easily create custom bundles of codecs for specific applications, the

configuration kit makes it simple to reuse code and gives developers time to

focus their engineering efforts on adding features and value to their

products. The configuration kit integrates TI's video, imaging, speech and

audio codecs, custom codecs that comply with TI's eXpressDSP(tm) Digital

Media (xDM) algorithm standard, TI's codec engine framework, DSP/BIOS(tm)

real-time kernel and TI's DSP/BIOS Link inter-processor communication

technology.



The unparalleled DM644x SoC Analyzer in the software development kit is the

first single tool to provide complete system visibility, enabling developers

to identify bottlenecks that were previously impossible to identify. The

minimally invasive tool aids in analyzing and identifying problems by

capturing and graphically displaying system interaction, load distribution,

bottlenecks in data throughput and other types of behavior. As the tasks run

on both the DSP and ARM cores of the TMS320DM644x processors the analyzer

captures and displays the data on a single timeline providing a complete

system view of the application, eliminating the tedious process of manually

collecting and comparing data on each core before optimization begins.



Finally, the software development kit also helps developers reduce system

test time with a robust, digital-video optimized Linux OS offering for the

DaVinci technology-based DM644x processors. The platform includes a proven,

system-tested Linux board support package from MontaVista(tm) that has been

optimized for video applications. Developers using the platform will license

and receive support for the MontaVista kernel and DevRocket integrated

development environment directly from TI, which will give them access to the

industry's vast store of Linux-based resources.



"The new software development kit demonstrates how TI's DaVinci technology

continues to simplify digital video and enable innovation," said Greg Mar,

DSP SoC platform manager, TI. "Developers can leverage DaVinci technology -

the right combination of processors, software, support and development tools

to quickly build highly differentiated digital video systems."



Pricing and availability

The digital video software development kit based on DaVinci technology will

be available from TI in 3Q 2006. The TMDSSDK6446-L platform, with

introductory pricing at $6,995, includes the tools and features discussed in

this release and addresses the needs of developers who are already invested

in TI development tools. For those undertaking new DaVinci technology

designs, the TMDSSDK6446-3L, with introductory pricing at $10,995, also

includes an emulator and the Code Composer Studio(tm) Integrated Development

Environment, version 3.2, in addition to the tools and features discussed in

the release. The software development kit requires a target platform for the

DM644x processors. Options for the target platform include the digital video

evaluation module (DVEVM) or platforms from TI third parties. For more

information and to find about DaVinci Technology Technical Seminars in your

area, see www.thedavincieffect.com.

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