GOEPEL electronic provides new Test and Programming Strategies for Texas Instruments DaVinci Media Processors

GOEPEL electronic has developed special VarioTAP IP’s for TI’s DaVinci Digital Media Systems-on-Chip for the TMS320DM3xx series.

September 6, 2011 -- GOEPEL electronic, world-class JTAG/Boundary Scan vendor, has developed special VarioTAP ® IP’s for TI’s DaVinci Digital Media Systems-on-Chip (DMSoC) for the TMS320DM3xx series. The solution enables the utilization of dynamic processor emulation tests for detection and diagnosis of faults on board and at system level, supporting an ultra-fast programming of connected memory media. The user benefits are a significant increase in fault coverage and savings in additional investments for other test and programming equipment. The preconfigured IPs covers all DMSoC interfaces up to real-time tests of the communication interfaces.

“Many of our customers utilize the high-performance DaVinci processors for their multimedia applications. In addition to Boundary Scan, dynamic at-speed tests are specified, now to be supported by our new VarioTAP IPs”, says Thomas Wenzel, Managing Director of GOEPEL electronics’ Boundary Scan Division. “Furthermore, standard options for fast memory media programming via LAN are available for the first time, i.e. users can combine the advantage of high test depth with short process cycles on a unique platform.”

The TMS320DM3xx series includes a number of complex system-on-chip circuits, controlled via an ARM9 core. Utilizing VarioTAP® means the conversion of the integrated processor to a native design embedded test and programming controller. In addition to Boundary Scan (IEEE Std. 1149.x), the processor emulation test (PET) strategy is currently the most modern method in the area of embedded test access technologies, enabling a functional at-speed test of all peripheral interfaces of TMS320DM3xx such as USB, LAN, I2C, SPI, DDR2, UART, Video, etc. at chip, board and system level. Additionally, VarioTAP® provides the opportunity to ultra-fast program connected memory media such as NAND or Multi Media Cards (MCM) by utilizing LAN based transfers.

In practical usage within the high-speed mode eMMC, chips of more than 2 GB can be programmed in 169 seconds.

The use of VarioTAP® does not require expert background knowledge, additional development tools or processor-specific pods, which makes the handling easy and uncomplicated.