Colin Duggan, director of applications and marketing, noted: "DSP is becoming a function that is becoming embedded in larger devices. However, because algorithm complexity is growing, there remains the need for devices with higher real time performance."
One of the design goals for the new devices was power efficiency. "Many applications can't include a fan because of their size," Duggan noted. "That means designers are looking for devices that consume less than 2W. We have been able to get an improvement in power efficiency of up to five times."
It's the first time that Analog Devices has offered parts with multiple SHARC cores. "However, we realised we needed to upgrade the SHARC core," Duggan said. "The SHARC+ core has a deeper pipeline to enable higher clock rates and a true caching mechanism. The core is byte addressable and comes with new instructions; we think the upgrade will be good for the foreseeable future."
Manufactured on TSMC's 40nm LP process, the devices can run at clock rates of up to 450MHz. "If we move them to the HP process," Duggan added, "they will get to 800MHz."
Two 'super set' devices will be available in the short term: the ADSP-SC589, with two SHARC+ cores and the A5 processor; and ADSP-SC584, which offers the same features, but can run at a reduced clock rate.
Production for the remaining six parts is planned for the middle of 2016.
