Today BDTI released the first independent benchmark results for the Texas Instruments C55x+ processor core. As its name implies, the C55x+ is based on the C55x architecture. Unlike the C55x, which is available in a variety of chips, the C55x+ will be available only in custom chips for wireless handsets. The first of these products is expected to sample in the first quarter of 2007, with full production expected in 1Q08.

To stay competitive, technology companies must consistently develop strong new products. This is particularly true for companies offering processors, tools, or systems that incorporate signal processing technology.

Unfortunately, developing a major new product is risky. New products require many design decisions, and it is easy to make poor choices. Common design mistakes include:

Last month Tensilica announced a new line of licensable processor cores called the Diamond Standard family.  The new family is based on Tensilica’s Xtensa family of licensable cores, but there is an important difference between the two families:  The Xtensa cores can be customized by licensees, but the Diamond cores cannot be customized.  Hence, the Diamond cores are essentially fixed, pre-configured versions of the Xtensa architecture.

The Diamond family includes six family members:

Increasingly, processor vendors need to deliver extensive software libraries optimized for their processors. In the realm of signal processing applications, this software may include large libraries of building-block functions (filters, transforms, etc.), application modules (such as audio or video compression algorithms), and complete end-product reference designs.

To meet these software needs, many processor vendors are attracted to offshore software development firms due to their low cost. But this solution is not without its challenges.

In the February 2006 column, I listed four of the Top Ten ways in which processor benchmark results are commonly misused. This month I’ll cover the remaining six. If you rely on benchmark results, you’ll want to watch out for these.

This month Texas Instruments announced that it will begin selling multimedia software to the mass market.  TI already offers some software, but this software is usually available only to select customers.  In contrast, the new multimedia software will be widely available.

This month MIPS announced its first multi-threaded licensable core, the MIPS32 34K.  The multi-threading capabilities of the 34K are highly unusual—not only in comparison to the other MIPS cores, but also in comparison to most other embedded processors.