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Texas Instruments' New Programmable DSP Solution Offers Improved Performance for Digital Cameras

DALLAS (Oct. 23, 2001) -- Leveraging the latest in digital signal processor (DSP) technology, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) introduced the latest programmable DSP-based solution that enables faster operation with lower power consumption in digital cameras. Offering features that provide greater speed and design flexibility, the new DSP solution achieves performance increases of up to 100 percent and a reduction in power consumption of up to 25 percent over TI's previous-generation DSP solution. Digital cameras designed with the new platform will allow consumers to capture high-resolution still images and enjoy real-time PC video from the same device. The new TMS320DSC25 programmable DSP solution extends the performance and functionality of TI's successful TMS320DSC21 platform, providing system designers with the means to improve and differentiate their digital camera products. The new device supports the capture of still images at up to 3-megapixels in less than a second, and it encodes and decodes CIF resolution (352x288) MPEG-4 I+P frame video at 20 frames per second (fps). Additional power-down modes provide a reduction in overall system power consumption and prolonged battery life. The enhanced DSP subsystem enables higher imaging and video processing performance, while the preview engine, the addition of an external host interface and SD, Multi-media Card (MMC) and Memory Stick interfaces all make the DSC25 a more flexible solution for digital cameras, dual-purpose PC cameras and other multimedia applications. "The introduction of the DSC25 illustrates TI's commitment to the fast-growing digital imaging market," said Will Strauss, president of market research firm Forward Concepts. "The price, performance and programmability are very attractive features, but the ability to also handle Internet audio functions in addition to the flexible imaging capability expands its utility and overall value to the camera manufacturer." The DSC25 is manufactured using a 0.15-micron (SIA) CMOS process that improves speed and lowers power consumption over the DSC21. Combining TI's low power TMS320C54x™ DSP with an ARM7TDMI® RISC processor on a single device provides programming flexibility that allows developers to offer unique features in new systems, upgrade existing designs as standards evolve and create new products from existing hardware platforms by modifying software. Additionally, DSP programmability enables system developers to leverage their investment in hardware and software to get to market quickly and cost-effectively with new products. "TI has learned from the success of the DSC21 what customers need most for next-generation digital cameras," said Dr. Raj Talluri, Imaging business manager at Texas Instruments. "The increased performance, programming flexibility and low power consumption of the DSC25 will enable manufacturers to offer consumers higher quality images and a greater range of features in upcoming digital camera products." Additional enhanced features of the DSC25 include a digital liquid crystal display (LCD) interface and S-video output. An enhanced on screen display (OSD) provides more flexible, simplified graphical user interface (GUI) development for system designers with dedicated video, bitmap and cursor windows. An improved preview engine enhances preview quality with faster memory access and image resizing. Direct memory access (DMA) to external dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and an external host interface enhance flexibility for PC-related applications. TI's support features serve to make system development easier and speed time to market. Software modules will be available for all major video-imaging compression standards, including JPEG, motion-JPEG, MPEG, MPEG-4, H.263, as well as audio standards such as MP3 and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), as well as data communication standards such as USB and RS-232. In addition, the DSC25 is supported by TI's eXpressDSP™ Real-Time Software Technology, which includes the Code Composer Studio™ integrated development environment (IDE), the DSP/BIOS™ real-time kernel, the TMS320™ DSP Algorithm Standard for interoperability and reuse and the industry's largest base of third-party software modules. Pricing and Availability Samples of TI's DSC25 DSP solution are available now, with volume production currently scheduled for Spring 2002. Evaluation modules (EVMs) are expected to be available in the first quarter of 2002 to help camera OEMs begin development on new systems. The DSC25 solution in quantities of 100 thousand units or more is expected to be less than $20 each.