Analog Devices launches fifth generation of SHARC dsp family
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Analog Devices has added two families to its SHARC portfolio, representing the fifth generation of the dsp family. According to Andrew Lanfear, dsp product marketing manager, it's the first time a member of the SHARC family has been manufactured on a low power cmos process. "We've taken a hit on clock rate," he accepted, "but it brings power consumption benefits."
The SHARC 2147x has a typical consumption of 363mW and runs at up to 266MHz. Use of Analog Devices' VISA mode reduces code size by up to 30%, allowing more efficient use of memory. Lanfear explained: "The SHARC core uses 48bit instructions. When you're doing simple tasks, like moving data around, previous families needed 48bit instructions. On these parts, the op codes have been repositioned to allow 16bit instructions that the core understands. The result is optimised memory usage."
The SHARC 2148x range runs at up to 400MHz, which Lanfear believes is 33% faster than competitive 32bit floating dsps. The VISA mode is also available on this part. "With 400MHz performance, 5Mbit of on chip memory and on chip algorithms, users can create a single chip high definition audio system.
Lanfear believes the cost/performance point of the SHARC 2147x and
2148x ranges will enable 'new low end systems with high end features'. "The key thing," he added, "is the integration of memory; these devices all have 5Mbit of ram on chip. If the customer can fit their application into a single device, we believe it's a 'slam dunk'."
The parts are also being supplied in qfp, which lowers manufacturing costs and requires fewer layers on a host pcb.
