TI Re-architects Embedded Control for 13x Increased Performance

Empowering developers to design greener, more connected applications, Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) has launched its new 32-bit C2000 Concerto dual-core microcontroller (MCU) series. Combining TI’s C28x core and control peripherals with an ARM Cortex-M3 core and connectivity peripherals, the MCUs deliver a clearly partitioned architecture that supports real-time control and advanced connectivity in a single, cost-efficient device.

To make them easy to use, Concerto MCUs are supported by an intuitive software infrastructure as well as application and connectivity libraries within controlSUITE software. The series includes multiple safety and security features and is code compatible across the C2000 platform to enable scalability and code reuse in green applications such as intelligent motor control, renewable energy, smart grid, digital power and electric vehicles.

Greener applications require the performance of a real-time control MCU to execute complex algorithms needed for precise, efficient power conversion, which is the essence of efficient motor control, renewable energy and smart grid technologies. But to take that efficiency to new levels that can dramatically save energy, these applications must also be connected for remote data sharing, diagnostics, monitoring and control. Concerto MCUs enable developers to do both real-time control and connectivity within one microcontroller, eliminating the traditional need to choose between optimal performance and advanced connectivity.

The series' real-time control subsystem based on TI’s C28x core with floating point and the Viterbi Complex Math Unit delivers 13X performance over existing MCUs as well as industry-leading control peripherals required to design the most reliable, efficient green applications. Its performance can also be tailored to different applications, with options for 150/75MHz, 100/100MHz or 60/60MHz on the C28x and Cortex-M3 cores, respectively. The C2000 Concerto MCUs also have up to 1MB of flash and 132kB RAM with error correction, parity on CAN and interrupt registers, redundancy for functions, and lock protection.

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