Texas Instruments announced the availability of four new OMAP processors, based on the ARM CortexTM-A8 core, aiming to provide laptop-like performance at handheld power levels in a single chip.

OMAP3503: Superscalar applications processor

Now sampling, the OMAP3503 has a 600 MHz Cortex-A8 core with integrated peripherals. The Cortex-A8 achieves a 2x performance lift over the 300MHz ARM9 by doubling the clock speed. It also achieves an additional 2x performance improvement through its superscalar architecture, which allows it to implement instruction-level parallelism within a single processor to enable a faster CPU throughput than would otherwise be possible at the same clock rate. With the resulting 4x improvement, the Cortex-A8 achieves more than 1200 Dhrystone millions of instructions per second (MIPS) and can run full-featured operating systems, such as Windows® Embedded CE and Linux. It will enable users to gain faster access to databases, spreadsheets, presentations, e-mail, audio and video attachments, web browsing and videoconferencing applications. The device also supports faster boot times and compelling Java applications, which is appropriate for embedded processor boards.

OMAP3515: Integrated gaming-quality graphics

The OMAP3515 processor consists of the same peripheral set and ARM core as the OMAP3503, plus the first broadly available, integrated OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics engine. Based on Imagination's PowerVR SGX graphics accelerator, the OMAP3515 can achieve photo-realistic graphics which can dramatically enhance the smart device user interface and make it the choice processor for embedded gaming or simple portable navigation systems.

OMAP3525: Multimedia processing for embedded applications

The OMAP3525 takes the base features found in the OMAP3503 and addresses the need for high-definition video, imaging, audio and multimedia acceleration capabilities. With an integrated C64x+ DSP combined with hardwired video and imaging processing as well as dedicated video centric peripherals, the OMAP3525 can decode high-definition video (MPEG-4 SP, 720p at 30 frames per second) and it appropriate for portable media players.

OMAP3530: Single-chip solution for multimedia smart devices

The superset device, OMAP3530, brings together the integrated ARM, DSP, graphics engine and peripheral set into a single chip to enable performance-hungry, power-efficient productivity and entertainment applications. Suitable for a wide range of potential applications, including Internet appliances and portable patient monitoring devices, the OMAP3530 offers integration in a power-optimized design, which means that applications can take on new and exciting forms that are thinner, sleeker and lighter. Likewise new user interfaces and graphics can be more easily integrated into existing commercial or consumer product designs.

To make this level of performance even more appealing for embedded applications, OMAP35x processors provide the ability to run these applications in extremely power constrained environments. To achieve this power level, the OMAP35x devices integrated three aspects of technology. The device architecture leverages a multi-core design, so that each core is fully optimized for the tasks it is responsible for to maximize efficiencies. It is manufactured at 65 nanometer low-power process technology. And finally, it leverage TI's SmartReflex technology which dynamically controls voltage, frequency and power based on device activity, modes of operation, process technology and temperature variation.