TI Aims to Speed Processing in Industry 4.0 Apps

As industrial communications increasingly face the challenges of Industry 4.0, the need for processors to meet high throughput demands is growing. Texas Instruments is targeting Industry 4.0 applications with its Sitara ™ AM6x processor. The processor is designed for applications converging both Ethernet and real-time data traffic on a single network, a capability critical for real-time communication in Industry 4.0 applications.

The processor supports gigabit throughput rates for TSN standards and other industrial protocols and provides a versatile alternative to ASIC or FPGA-based processors that are dedicated only to specific networks, according to Carlos Betancourt, product marketing manager of Sitara™ processors for TI. The programmable processor can be configured to support multiple industrial protocols without hardware redesign, including time-sensitive networking (TSN), Ether CAT, PROFINET, Ethernet/IP, HSR/PRP, OPC-UA, and others.

“We’re moving to smarter, and higher bandwidth,” says Betancourt. “The challenge is putting all technologies together into processor requirements that are industrial grade.”

The integrated Sitara ™ AM6x processor has an on-chip, dual-core microcontroller that enables designers to use AM6x processors to create more dependable and functional safety-certifiable products, while reducing overall system-level complexity for applications such as programmable logic controllers and multi-axis motor drives. It can operate in an optional lockstep mode.

On-chip security features include security boot, secure storage, and smart crypto engines. The processor also supports error-correcting code memory protection for both on-chip memory and external DDR memory.

The processor can seamlessly and reuse and migrate Android, Linux, and TI-RTOS software across TI processor families. It also offers 3D graphics core options for advanced HMI.

Designed for industrial applications, the processor is rated for 100,000 power-on hours at a 105 °C junction temperature, and 200,000 power-on-hours at 95 °C.

Sitara processor-based development kits are available. They include the AM65x industrial module development kit (TMDX654IDKEVM) and AM65X evaluation module (TMDX654GPEVM), priced at $819 and $898 respectively.

Preproduction samples of the processor are now available; production samples will become available in the second half of 2019 and priced starting at $22.50 each in 1,000-unit quantities.