ACROVIEW Technology, a leader in chip programming, recently announced the latest iteration of its programming software, along with a series of newly supported chip models. In this update, the real-time microcontroller TMS320F28P550SJ6PDT from Texas Instruments (TI) has been supported by the ACROVIEW programming device AP8000.
The TMS320F28P550SJ6PDT is a scalable, ultra-low-latency device in the C2000™ real-time microcontroller series, designed to enhance the efficiency of power electronics devices, including but not limited to: high power density, high switching frequency, and support for GaN and SiC technologies.
These applications include:
• Motor drivers
• Appliances
• Hybrid, electric, and powertrain systems
• Solar and electric vehicle charging
• Digital power
• Body electronics and lighting
• Test and measurement
The real-time control subsystem is based on TI’s 32-bit C28x DSP core, providing 150MHz signal processing performance for floating-point or fixed-point code running from on-chip flash or SRAM. The floating-point unit (FPU), trigonometric function accelerator (TMU), and VCRC (cyclic redundancy check) extended instruction set further enhance the performance of the C28x CPU, accelerating the speed of critical common algorithms in real-time control systems.
The CLA can offload a significant number of common tasks from the main C28x CPU. The CLA is an independent 32-bit floating-point math accelerator that executes in parallel with the CPU. Additionally, the CLA comes with dedicated storage resources that can directly access key peripherals required in typical control systems. Along with major features such as hardware breakpoints and hardware task switching, ANSI C subset support is standard configuration.
The Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU) can support machine learning inference using pre-trained models. The NPU can handle 600–1200 MOPS (million operations per second) and provides model support for arc fault detection or motor fault detection, improving NN inference cycles by up to 10 times compared to software-only implementations. Utilize TI’s Edge AI Studio-Model Composer or Tiny ML Modelmaker to load and train models for advanced feature sets. The source code for C28x is generated by these tools without the need for manual coding. For customers relying on their own AI training frameworks, TI’s neural network compiler can assist in porting your AI models to be compatible with many C28x-based MCUs.
The TMS320F28P550SJ6PDT supports up to 1088KB of flash memory, divided into four 256KB banks and one 64KB bank, allowing for programming one bank while executing in another. Up to 133KB of on-chip SRAM is also available as a supplement to the flash memory.
The real-time firmware update hardware enhancement on the TMS320F28P550SJ6PDT allows for quick context switching from old firmware to new firmware, minimizing application downtime when updating device firmware.
High-performance analog modules are integrated into the TMS320F28P550SJ6PDT real-time microcontroller (MCU) and are tightly coupled with the processing unit and PWM unit to provide better real-time signal chain performance. The 24 PWM channels support frequency-independent resolution modes, controlling various power stages from three-phase inverters to power factor correction and advanced multi-level power topologies.
By adding configurable logic blocks (CLB), users can add custom logic and integrate FPGA-like functionality into the C2000 real-time MCU.
A variety of industry-standard communication ports (such as SPI, SCI, I2C, PMBus, LIN, and CAN) not only support connectivity but also provide multiple pin multiplexing options for excellent signal layout.
ACROVIEW is an official recommended third-party programming partner of Texas Instruments (TI), and the ACROVIEW AP8000 can program the entire range of TI chips. In particular, the C2000 series has been specially designed to meet the programming requirements of the C2000 series, enhancing programming stability and chip ESD protection, making it the best production programming device for C2000 series DSPs.
Features
• Real-time processing
– 150MHz C28x 32-bit DSP CPU
– Comparable real-time signal chain performance to devices based on 300MHz Arm® Cortex®-M7
– IEEE 754 single-precision floating-point unit (FPU32)
– Trigonometric function accelerator (TMU)
– Supports Nonlinear Proportional Integral Derivative (NLPID) control
– CRC engine and instructions (VCRC)
• Programmable Control Law Accelerator (CLA)
– 150MHz
– Comparable real-time signal chain performance to devices based on 200MHz Arm® Cortex®-M7
– IEEE 754 single-precision floating-point instructions
– Executes code independently of the main CPU
• On-chip memory
– Provides 1088KB of flash memory (ECC protected) across five independent banks
– 4 banks of 256KB
– 1 bank of 64KB, ideal for LFU/bootloader/data
– 8KB OTP (one-time programmable flash memory)
– 133KB RAM (ECC/parity protected)
• Security
– Secure boot
– JTAG lock
– Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) accelerator
– Unique Identifier (UID) number
• Clock and system control
– 2 internal 10MHz oscillators
– Crystal oscillator or external clock input
– Windowed watchdog timer module
– Lost clock detection circuit
– Dual Clock Comparator (DCC)
• 3.3V I/O support
– Internal VREG generation allows for single-supply designs
– Brown-out reset (BOR) circuit
– 4 GPIOs with 5V fault protection and tolerance, supporting PMBUS/I2C
– Configurable 1.35V VIH on 4 GPIOs
• System peripherals
– 6-channel Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller
– 91 independently programmable multiplexed General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) pins (22 shared with analog)
– 17 digital inputs provided on analog pins
– Enhanced Peripheral Interrupt Expansion (ePIE)
– Supports multiple low-power modes (LPM)
• Communication peripherals
– One Power Management Bus (PMBus) interface
– Super-fast mode support – 1MHz SCL
– Supports 5V/3.3V/1.35V VIH on some pins
– Two internally integrated I2C ports
– Two Controller Area Network (CAN FD/MCAN) bus ports with flexible data rates
– 4KB message RAM per MCAN module, independent of system memory
– If MCAN is not used, RAM can be reused for CPU data variables
– 1 Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0 MAC+PHY)
– 2 Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) ports
– Three UART-compatible Serial Communication Interfaces (SCI)
– One Local Interconnect Network (LIN) interface compatible with UART
– Fast Serial Interface (FSI) with one transmitter and one receiver (up to 200Mbps)
• Analog systems
– 5 3.9MSPS 12-bit Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC)
– Up to 39 external channels (including one gpdac output)
– Each ADC has four integrated post-processing blocks (PPB)
– Four window comparators (CMPSS) with 12-bit reference DACs
– Digital interference filters
– Low DAC output to pin functionality on CMPSS1
– One 12-bit buffered DAC output
– Three Programmable Gain Amplifiers (PGA)
– Unity gain support
– Inverting and non-inverting gain mode support
– Programmable output filtering
• Enhanced control peripherals
– 24 ePWM channels, including 12 channels with high-resolution features (150ps resolution)
– Integrated deadband support
– Integrated hardware trigger zone (TZ)
– 2 Enhanced Capture (eCAP) modules
– Three Enhanced Quadrature Encoder Pulse (eQEP) modules supporting CW/CCW operation modes
– Embedded Graphics Generator (EPG)
• Configurable Logic Block (CLB)
– 2 logic blocks
– Enhance existing peripheral functionality
– Support for position manager solutions
• Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU)
– Highly optimized for deep convolutional neural networks (CNN)
– Variable weight and data lengths
– 8-bit and 4-bit weights
– 8-bit and 4-bit data
– 600 MOPS (million operations per second), 8bWx8bD (at 75MHz)
– 1200 MOPS, 4bWx8bD (at 75MHz)
– Achieve up to 10 times NN inference performance improvement compared to software techniques
– TI AI tools can generate firmware libraries without direct coding
– Focus on real-time control edge AI models
– Arc fault example
– Motor fault example
• Real-time firmware updates (LFU)
• Diagnostic features
– Memory Power-On Self-Test (MPOST)
• Aimed at functional safety compliance
– Developed for functional safety applications
– Documentation available for ISO 26262 and IEC 61508 system design
– System functionality meets ASIL D and SIL 3 levels
– Aiming for hardware integrity up to ASIL B level
• Safety-related certification
– Plans to achieve ISO 26262 certification up to ASIL B level through TÜV SÜD
• Package options
– 128-pin Thin Quad Flatpack (TQFP) [suffix PDT]
– 100-pin Low-profile Quad Flatpack (LQFP) [suffix PZ]
– 80-pin TQFP [suffix PNA]
– 64-pin LQFP [suffix PM]
– 56-pin Very Thin Quad Flatpack No-Lead (VQFN) [suffix RSH]
• Temperature options
– Junction temperature (TJ): -40°C to 150°C
Internal Block Diagram
The AP8000 universal programmer developed by ACROVIEW Technology is a powerful programming solution that supports both online and offline versions in one-to-one and one-to-eight configurations, while also providing dedicated programming solutions for eMMC and UFS, fully meeting the bare chip (offline) and on-board programming needs of all TI series chip models. The AP8000 consists of three core components: host, baseboard, and adapter, serving as an industry-leading universal programming platform that not only accommodates the programming needs of various programmable chips on the market but also serves as the core programming platform for ACROVIEW’s parent chip programming device IPS5800S, efficiently supporting the execution of large-scale programming tasks.
The host supports both USB and NET connections, enabling networking of multiple programmers to synchronize control of multiple programmers for programming operations. The built-in safety protection circuit can instantly detect abnormal situations such as chip misplacement or short circuits and immediately cut off power, ensuring the safety of both the chip and the programmer. The host integrates a high-speed FPGA, significantly enhancing data transmission and processing speed. The back of the host is equipped with an SD card slot, allowing users to save project files generated by PC software to the root directory of the SD card and insert it into the slot. By using the button on the programmer, users can select, load, and execute programming instructions without relying on a PC, which not only reduces the hardware configuration cost of the PC but also facilitates the rapid construction of the working environment.
The AP8000 enhances the host’s expansion capabilities through the combination design of the baseboard and adapter, currently supporting products from all major semiconductor manufacturers, including Infineon, ST, NXP, MPS, MICROCHIP, and others. The supported device types include NAND, NOR, MCU, CPLD, FPGA, EMMC, etc., and it is compatible with various file formats such as Intel Hex, Motorola S, Binary, POF, etc.
Company Introduction
About Texas Instruments: Texas Instruments (TI) is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of analog circuit technology components and a globally recognized semiconductor multinational company, known for developing, manufacturing, and selling semiconductors and computer technology, primarily engaged in innovative digital signal processing and analog circuit research, manufacturing, and sales. In addition to its semiconductor business, it also provides solutions for sensing and control, educational products, and digital light processing. Texas Instruments is the world’s largest manufacturer of digital signal processors (DSP) and analog circuit components, with its analog and digital signal processing technology dominating globally.
About ACROVIEW Technology:ACROVIEW Technology is a global leader in semiconductor chip programming solutions, committed to changing the world through technology and driving the future with intelligence, continuously creating value for customers. ACROVIEW’s AP8000 universal programmer platform and the latest IPS5800S programming automation solution provide one-stop solutions for customers in the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing fields, having served leading global clients including Huawei, BYD, and Foxconn.
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