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Use DSP563xx for new designs?

Started by jwyg...@hei.org November 3, 2006
I am about to embark on a new DSP design, and I am considering abandoning the DSP563xx family, mostly because over the past 5-7 years TI and Analog Devices have seemed to outpace Freescale in introducing new chip variants and software/tools support for its DSP processors.

In a recent post to this group (see ), it was suggested that Freescale "has quite an extensive roadmap planned" for the DSP563xx family.

Now I'd like to believe that's true, since I have been using the DSP563xx family for audio designs since they were first introduced. I'd like to hear from others out there what they know about the future of the 563xx family.
Same concern as yours... same question to the group
----- Original Message -----
From: j...@hei.org
To: m...
Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 8:23 PM
Subject: [motoroladsp] Use DSP563xx for new designs?
I am about to embark on a new DSP design, and I am considering abandoning the DSP563xx family, mostly because over the past 5-7 years TI and Analog Devices have seemed to outpace Freescale in introducing new chip variants and software/tools support for its DSP processors.

In a recent post to this group (see ), it was suggested that Freescale "has quite an extensive roadmap planned" for the DSP563xx family.

Now I'd like to believe that's true, since I have been using the DSP563xx family for audio designs since they were first introduced. I'd like to hear from others out there what they know about the future of the 563xx family.
Hello John-

> I am about to embark on a new DSP design, and I am considering abandoning
> the DSP563xx family, mostly because over the past 5-7 years TI and Analog
> Devices have seemed to outpace Freescale in introducing new chip variants
> and software/tools support for its DSP processors.

It wasn't that they "didn't keep pace", it was they went sideways. No multicore
designs, no higher MHz (SHARC floating-point at 600 MHz, TI fixed-point now at 1
GHz), no huge amount of onchip memory, no rich set of onchip peripherals (some TI
examples include USB, Ethernet, UTOPIA, PCI, SRIO, etc), and no spending of millions
annually on development of software tools and IDE.

Motorola's DSP downhill slide started in 1997-1998. Mot's DSP capability imploded
when Hector Ruiz made one of the worst decisions in CEO history, deciding that DSP
was not a viable market (!?) and scattering their excellent DSP group into a "matrix
table" dedicated only to in-house support. And remember at the same time Tom
Engibous was converting Texas Instruments entirely into a "DSP Company". Why TI and
ADI could see an emerging DSP market and Ruiz could not is a great example of how
CEO's make mistakes like everyone else, only magnified by billions of dollars. At
least in part, Engibous has to thank Ruiz for his success. Evidently Ruiz has
learned something, witness AMD's recent success.

At this point, I just don't see how Freescale recovers -- regardless of how much they
spend -- having lost so many years of marketing, investment, and sheer technical hard
work it takes to maintain a complex, high performance product line. In the meantime
TI has purchased Spectron Microsystems (SPOX formed the basis for DSP/BIOS), Go-DSP
(Code Composer Studio software), Burr-Brown, PowerTrends, Telogy (VoIP software),
continued to invest in those groups, and made every effort to build an ever-expanding
circle around their DSP products. What has Freescale done?

-Jeff

> In a recent post to this group (see
> ), it was
> suggested that Freescale "has quite an extensive roadmap planned" for the
> DSP563xx family.
>
> Now I'd like to believe that's true, since I have been using the DSP563xx
> family for audio designs since they were first introduced. I'd like to
> hear from others out there what they know about the future of the 563xx
> family.