TI Unveils DSP Software Environment

Electronic News, Sept 20, 1999 by Jeff Dorsch

The digital signal processor (DSP) business of Texas Instruments Inc. (TI), based in Houston, this week is introducing eXpressDSP Real-Time Software Technology, a DSP software development environment intended to extend the range of DSP applications.

All of the elements of the software environment are available today at the www.ti.com/sc/expressdsp Web site.

In addition, more than 40 third-party software developers have adopted the eXpressDSP technology, TI said. Of those, the following have software products ready today or in development: Adaptive Digital Technologies (ADT), Blue Wave Systems, D2 Engineering, DSP Software Engineering, Delphi Communications, Hunt Engineering, Hyperception, Ixthos, Mango Computers, MESi, Momentum Data Systems, Precise Software Technologies, RadiSys, Sipro Lab Telecomm, Spectrum Digital, Spectrum Signal Processing and The MathWorks.

"As the digital revolution progresses, DSPs will continue to proliferate in all facets of our lives," said Lou Santora, vice president of engineering at Cisco Systems Inc., San Jose. "Moving DSP products quickly from concept to market is imperative, and eXpressDSP has the potential to shave countless hours off software development."

"TI's new eXpressDSP software initiative provides three clear benefits to developers," said Bill Witowsky, chief technical officer and senior vice president of engineering at Telogy Networks Inc. of Germantown, Md., a company acquired by TI in August. "First, it provides a highly productive development environment for implementing demanding real-time systems. Second, it offers a real-time operating environment to ensure real-time constraints are met. And third, its standardized algorithms make it easier to build complex software systems using solutions from different third-party software developers."

TI's eXpressDSP provides a single, standard set of coding conventions and application programming interfaces for algorithm creators to "wrap" the algorithm for system-ready use, TI said. In the past, algorithm creators had to re-engineer an algorithm to integrate it into each different system. Now the algorithms can be written once by the creator and reused widely by integrators, the company added.

The standard includes algorithm programming rules that enable interoperability between different types of algorithms, such as JPEG, MP3 OR AC-3 Audio Player. TI will also provide tools to assist the developer in creating standardized algorithms.

Because algorithms from third parties can be easily integrated by OEMs, the total market for DSP silicon will increase, TI noted. Likewise, algorithm standardization will increase the quantity and quality of algorithms available for faster use by OEMs.

The new environment draws in TI's Code Composer Studio, the company's existing software development tools for DSPs. Features in Code Composer Studio include real-time analysis, data visualization, advanced code generation tools and an open architecture for third-party plug-in tools.

TI is also offering DSP/BIOS, a universal layer of foundation software for TI DSPs that provides the basic runtime systems services and integration support needed for all DSP applications.

With the tools available at the Web site address above, TI said the DSP algorithm standard is available in a developer's kit that includes rules and guidelines, application notes, tools and a TMS320C6000 demonstration showing algorithm interoperability. DSP/BIOS is included with Code Composer Studio and features no run-time fees, TI added.