Digital Media Processor TMS320DM6446 and Windows CE...

[odesus]

tms320dm6446 2004

Dear Comunity:

TI has launched the TMS320DM6446, this device is the best device on its field. With an ARM processor, a powerful DSP and many peripheras Its an excellent SoC, unfortunately TI has a very restrictive policy for its devices.. you know XDS510 and XDS560 programmers, I'M VERY DISSAPOINTED WITH THAT!! AS MANY HERE!! JTAG SHOULD BE SIMPLE AND CHEAP!!.

Also TI has 3rd parties for develop drivers and libraries (mistral and other companies). These libraries are VERY expensive for develop your own code (like $10,000 or more, I requested a quotation ).

One advantages of this device is the cost.. The cost is SO attractive like $60 for a wonderful device Also with WINCE platform builder 5.0 you can download your code to a NAND flash memory and bootloading form this memory.

As enthusiastic of electronic designs, with Windows Platform Builder resource and with all restrictions that I mentioned:

Is there any posibility of build a convenient system for General purpose?

I mean with USB peripherals, Touchscreen, touchpad.. etc.

Many thanks for all your appreciable comments and suggestions in advance.

 

[odesus]

davinci tms320dm6446 cost

Hi fellows!!

I think I should answer my own questions hahaha!! after a big time. Well DMP digital media processor are very useful.. I will recomend this alternative for all EDA designers.

But How does it work? Well you need only a few elements: SRAM memory, flash memory ( I recomend NAND in fact NAND is widely used in many PDA's and MP3 players, etc, etc), some peripherals and voilá!! the principal elemento Da Vinci processor.

How to download the program. After working with WINCE you should download your program with an ethernet client thru RJ-45 terminal or with UART. The beginning of file (iso image of wince) should start with a magic word, a number that is request by RBL (rom bootloader). This room bootoader is on IROM memory which is the mediator between user program and UBL. The UBL is User Bootloader, this bootloader can be updated any time. After the UBL is charged on high memory of Da Vinci, you should apply different signals to 2 pins of Da Vinci for enabling how Da Vinci should start (USART,RJ45, etc).

Then when you move these signals, inmediatley UBL request the program and send it to NAND or NOR flash. After this, you should move again your switches for bootloading from NAND and voila.. ready for debugging your program. This configuration applies for ALL RTOS!!.

Well good luck with your Da Vinci implementation.. remember PCB layout is extremely important here, 'cos EMI is a nightmare ALWAYS!!

I hope this can be useful for those who want to implement amazing things with Da Vinci.

Regards.

 

[Tamasco]

davinci windowsce

Thanks.
What are the development tools (compilers/IDEs, boards, etc ) for this processor.
Are they available yet?

 

[odesus]

da vinci processor java

Hi Tamasco!!

Well, there are many options available on market. If you're planning working with WINCE well Windows CE platform Builder 6.0 is the best option working together with Visual Studio 2005 or higher.

The boards are kind of expensive like $1000 and above, provided by Texas Instrument and third parties but none of them are under $1000. My suggestion is to make your own board. The chip is inexpensive (like $60) and buying your memories and other stuffs, well the price is quite conservative less than $1000 but with a few peripherals, just the minumum to work.

And when I'm talking about to get your software, well you know what I mean: bring the mule to carry your software!!! hahahaha!!

Let me know if you have more doubts, regards.

Odesus

 

[anafor]

hi Odeus
I have started a new project about dm355.We will load on MCU a linux based (Montavista) RTOS.I would like to ask some question,

what is the main point for Linux on porting process?
and we want to use a tft in this project , where can a find lcd or tft library (.h file)?

 

[odesus]

Hi Anafor!!

Porting on linux for embedded systems is not a difficult issue if you have some experience on driver design. In windows CE as Linux, Qnx, Nucleus, Infinity, ECos (overall when you don't have their support); driver design is the principal problem. In this case I recommend working with Code Composer Studio, 'cos you need to see how registers are passing values and how the code is executed on real time (XDS510 or XDS560).

Well for a general viewing on linux porting, specifically for embedded applications read this (a very complete article):

**broken link removed**

I have a Big question for you: Are you planning to comercialize your product in future?

Be very carefull when you're planning this, 'cos royalty fees are the principal obstacule. Companies want to have money at any cost. I even consider to working with a special suite of JAVA named Java-SE. Sun system produced this suite for embedded sytems and Da Vinci works well with JAVA. In fact Da Vinci has a Virtual Java Machine firmware, this allows to run JAVA as a RTOS.

But what was the principal obstacule why I didn't choose JAVA? ROYALTY FEES!! NDA agreements with cost, more costs.. more costs.... everything is a bussiness.

Consider all my suggestions at moment of choosing what RTOS you're going to use.

I hope this can help you. Regards.

 

[anafor]

Thank you Odeus for your reply, we have choosed Montavista as a RTOS and we gonna use it.

You asked a question,

have a Big question for you: Are you planning to comercialize your product in future?

Yes we are planning comercialize it in the future.
Now I am working on porting RTOS and we gonna show on tft 3D and 2D charts, and do you have any suggestion about graphic library and GUI , what gui shall I choose? Is Microwindows enough for this project?[/quote]

 

[odesus]

Hi!!

Yes microwindows is useful for 2d and 3d charts.. at least free.

Regards.