Texas Instruments (TI) announced the new Sitara AM437x processor family that integrates support for industrial protocols for both automation and industrial drives and includes new features such as dual camera for data terminals with bar code scanning.Allowing customers to further differentiate their designs, the AM437x processors enable real-time processing with available quad core programmable real-time units (PRU).
The PRU offloads real-time processing from the ARM to manage deterministic tasks such as controlling motors and is robust enough to enable complex functions like multiple industrial fieldbus protocols. The combination of the high performance ARM Cortex-A9 with the integration of peripherals and the PRUs allows customers to develop applications such as factory automation, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), home automation and Internet of Things (IoT) gateways, human machine interface (HMI), and more.
In addition to the expansion of the portfolio to provide more performance with the use of the ARM-Cortex-A9 core, Sitara AM437x processors also contain up to 512 kB of on-chip memory, a POWERVR SGX 3D graphics accelerator and a display subsystem that enables color space conversion, overlays, resizing and more.
Building upon this integration and giving customers the option of using flexible, discrete power designs, the Sitara AM437x processors include simplified power sequencing. Additionally, the companion power management IC TPS65218 offers high-efficiency DC/DC converters with integrated power path and added benefits such as a high-accuracy, integrated voltage supervisor and the lowest power mode, reducing power consumption by 70 percent.
This is designed for systems requiring a low-capacity coin-cell battery to support greater than five-year shelf life. The availability of quad-SPI allows execute-in-place (XIP) so the system can run directly from low-cost NOR flash.
Features:
‧ With a powerful 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 core and other sub-systems, this SoC offers up to 40 percent more system performance than the previous generation of Sitara processors
‧ Next-generation quad core PRU-ICSS (industrial communications subsystem) connectivity peripheral enables dual, simultaneous industrial protocols such as EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, Profibus, PROFINET-RT/IRT, POWERLINK, Sercos III, IEC61850, as well as motor feedback protocols like EnDat or interfaces for sensors and actuators like BiSS
‧ On-chip quad core PRU co-processor achieves deterministic, real-time processing, direct access to I/Os and ultra-low-latency requirements
‧ In addition, a host of new peripheral options addressing specific application needs are integrated
