High-Performance Six-Core DSP

MSC8256

The MSC8256 is based on the industry’s highest-performance DSP core built on StarCore® technology and designed for the advanced processing requirements and capabilities of today’s high-performance industrial applications for the medical imaging, aerospace, defense and advanced test and measurement markets. It delivers higher performance and power savings, leveraging 45 nm process technology in a highly integrated system-on-chip (SoC) to provide performance equivalent to a 6 GHz, single-core device. The MSC8256 helps equipment manufacturers create end products and services that integrate more functionality in a smaller hardware footprint.

The MSC8256 DSP delivers a high level of performance and integration, combining six enhanced fully programmable SC3850 cores each running at up to 1GHz. The SC3850 DSP core has been independently assessed to enable 40 percent more processing capability per MHz than the nearest DSP competition. A high-performance internal RISC-based QUICC Engine® subsystem supports multiple networking protocols to guarantee reliable data transport over packet networks while significantly offloading processing from the DSP cores.

The MSC8256 embeds a substantial amount of internal memory to support a variety of advanced, high-speed interface types, including two RapidIO® interfaces, two gigabit Ethernet interfaces for network communications, a PCI Express® controller, two DDR controllers for high-speed, industry standard memory interface and four multichannel TDM interfaces. The MSC8256 allows a high degree of scalability through pin compatibility with all MSC825x and MSC815x DSP devices.

Product Details

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Block Diagram

MSC8256 High-Performance Six-Core DSP Block Diagram

MSC8256 High-Performance Six-Core DSP Block Diagram
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Features

  • Six StarCore® DSP SC3850 core subsystems each with:
    • SC3850 DSP core at up to 1 GHz
    • 512 KB unified L2 cache/M2 memory
    • 32 KB I-cache, 32 KB D-cache
    • Fully programmable 1056 KB M3 shared memory (SRAM)
  • Two DDR 2/3 64-bit SDRAM interfaces at up to 800 MHz data rate
  • Chip-level arbitration and switching fabric, non-blocking, fully pipelined, low-latency
  • High-speed interconnects
    • Dual 4x/1x Serial RapidIO at 1.25/2.5/3.125 Gbaud
    • PCI Express 4x/1x
    • Two SGMII
  • Dual RISC QUICC Engine® supporting
    • RGMII gigabit Ethernet ports
    • Serial peripheral interface (SPI)
  • TDM highway 1024 ch., 400 Mbps, divided into four ports of 256
  • DMA engine 16 bi-directional channels
  • Other peripheral interfaces
    • UART
    • I²C
    • 32 GPIO
    • 16 timers
  • Technology
    • Process: 45 nm SOI
    • Voltage: 1-volt core, 2.5, 1.8/1.5-volt I/O
    • Package: FC-BPGA (29 x 29) 1-mm pitch, RoHS
  • This product is included in NXP®.s product longevity program, with assured supply for a minimum of 10 years after launch

Documentation

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Hardware

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2 hardware offerings

  • Test Accessories and Debugger

    TRACE32 JTAG Debugger for StarCore

    Lauterbach has over 40 years of experience in making world class microprocessor development tools. TRACE32 supports technologies like JTAG and NEXUS with embedded debugge...
    TRACE32 JTAG Debugger for StarCore By Lauterbach Gold Partner
  • Complementary Silicon or Component

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    Low Power DRAM By Micron Gold Partner

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