DALLAS, Sept. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Texas
Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) introduced the new
$199 Sitara™ AM335x ARM® Cortex™-A8
Starter Kit with a 4.3-inch LCD display supporting rotation and
tilt capabilities via the on-board accelerometer that provides an
affordable platform for smart appliances, industrial automation and
networking applications and other devices requiring a touch screen
interface. The low-cost development platform, based on the Sitara
AM3358 ARM Cortex-A8 processor, integrates multiple communication
options such as Dual Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi® and
Bluetooth® connectivity for the creation of highly
connected devices.
At speeds up to 720 MHz, the AM335x Starter Kit accelerates
designs with a ready-for-production hardware and software platform.
This board is an affordable tool that offers the ability to quickly
evaluate the features of the processor and accompanying TI
components, taking the guess work out of hardware design. This
allows both experienced and novice designers to focus on product
differentiation such as advanced graphics and connectivity.
Developers can accelerate time to market and reduce costs when
creating connected thermostats, security panels, wireless hard disk
drives and portable hot spots.
TI's AM335x Starter Kit is a feature-packed compact design with
an optimized bill of materials.
AM335x Starter Kit key features include:
- Scalable with pin for pin options for graphics and industrial
communications based on AM335x ARM Cortex-A8 processors at up to
720 MHz.
- Two-Gb DDR3 memory.
- Two Gb Ethernet ports via integrated 2-port switch on the
AM335x ARM Cortex-A8 processor.
- 4.3 inch LCD touch screen (5.1 inch x 2.6 inch) supporting
rotation and tilt capabilities via the on-board accelerometer and
countless application possibilities.
- Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) with Wi-Fi Direct™ support and
Bluetooth v4.0 including Bluetooth low energy
connectivity via on-board WL1271 Murata module with integrated
antenna.
- XDS100 JTAG emulator functionality on board via USB enables
debug at no extra cost
- Additional peripherals such as USB, USB-UART, navigation
buttons, user LEDs, audio out and more.
Turnkey software development kits for Android and
Linux
In addition to extending TI's hardware portfolio with the
availability of a low-cost development tool, the AM335x Starter Kit
fully leverages TI's proven suite of software solutions, including
Sitara StarterWare software for accelerated application speed and
scalability. The AM335x Starter Kit is also compatible with the
Android and Linux operating system distributions from TI,
delivering complete support for the latest software solutions and
cutting-edge customer applications using Android 4.0 and Linux
3.x.
Additionally, compatible solutions and real-time operating
systems will be available from third parties to enable additional
product customization and simplify development.
"TI's AM335x Starter Kit is the perfect complement to the
popular BeagleBone computer and the full-featured AM335x evaluation
module by providing a touch-screen-enabled hardware and software
platform at an affordable price," said Russell Crane, product marketing manager, Sitara
ARM processors, TI. "With support for low-cost DDR3, two Gb
Ethernet ports and wireless connectivity, this new development
platform expands Sitara's tool offerings and meets the needs of
customers who demand these features when creating innovative,
next-generation products."
Pricing and availability
The new AM335x Starter Kit (TMDSSK3358) is available and shipping
today for $199 from www.ti.com. For
more information, visit TI's AM335x Starter Kit page. Additional
accessories including stands, capacitive touch screen and case will
soon be available. Please visit boardzoo.com.
To see the AM335x Starter Kit in action:
- Check out the overview video
- View the Sitara AM335x ARM Cortex-A8 processor webinar on
demand here
For more information:
- Join the TI E2E™ Community
- Follow TI on Twitter
- Like TI on Facebook
Quote Sheet:
Wind River
"Wind River® has further extended its world-class support for TI's
product line to now include the new Sitara™ AM335x ARM® Cortex™-A8
Starter Kit, which is packed with the key features our customers
need to accelerate the development of their next-generation
designs," said Warren Kurisu, vice
president, product marketing at Wind River. "Combined with
our real-time operating system, VxWorks®, the AM335x Starter Kit is
ideal for customers migrating from a PLC design needing better
performance and flexibility, or those looking for a device that
blends performance and power efficiency."
QNX Software Systems
"Embedded systems are becoming more connected and
graphics-intensive, but must still deliver high performance and
reliability. The QNX platform helps developers strike this critical
balance through a powerful mix of connectivity options, user
interface technologies, and proven real-time performance," said
Grant Courville, director of product
management, QNX Software Systems. "QNX Software Systems will
provide a pre-integrated software package for the Sitara™ AM335x
ARM® Cortex™-A8 Starter Kit, offering an ideal foundation for
connected embedded systems. The package will include support for Qt
5.0, OpenGL ES 2.0, 802.11n (Stations, AP),
Bluetooth®, and Bluetooth Low Energy, as well as
reference applications and demos, all running on the
QNX® Neutrino® RTOS."
Mentor Graphics
"The Sitara™ AM335x ARM® Cortex™-A8 Starter Kit enables embedded
developers to explore the wide range of functionality available in
the AM335x family of Sitara devices," says Glenn Perry, general manager of Mentor Graphics
Embedded Software Division. "In addition to providing an embedded
Linux distribution and Sourcery CodeBench tools, we're excited to
make it easier for developers to use power saving features in
Sitara ARM AM335x devices while maintaining a large feature set
with the Power Management Framework in the Nucleus RTOS."
Crank Software Incorporated
"Crank Software's Storyboard Suite for User Interface (UI)
development combined with Sitara™ AM335x ARM® Cortex™-A8 Starter
Kit is a powerful combination for rapid development of
state-of-the-art Human Machine Interfaces (HMI)," said Brian Edmond, president of Crank Software
Incorporated. "We worked closely with TI's Android and Linux
Software development teams to fully integrate Crank Storyboard
suite complete with out of the box demos so users can evaluate how
Crank delivers an easy to use, drag and drop, development
environment for rich animated UIs while fully leveraging the
graphics acceleration of the platform."
IAR Systems
"Development tools from IAR Systems support the entire range of TI
ARM Cortex cores," said Mats
Ullstrom, product director at IAR Systems. "Our compiler
provides world-class optimizations that create the most efficient
code in the industry and enables developers to create
high-performing, low-power applications. We work closely with TI to
offer wide support for Sitara devices, including the AM335x family
and the newly announced Starter Kit."
Timesys
"The combination of the Sitara™ AM335x ARM® Cortex™-A8 Starter Kit
and Timesys LinuxLink tools makes development of embedded Linux
devices very easy and affordable," said Maciej Halasz, director of product management at
Timesys. "Timesys makes it quick and easy for customers to
prototype and benchmark embedded Linux on the Sitara's AM335x
Starter Kit with the LinuxLink FREE Edition. For developers
building commercial products, we offer the LinuxLink PRO Edition
which provides advanced customization tools and unmetered support
that simplifies the development process and lifecycle maintenance
for any AM335x-based embedded device."
About Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments semiconductor innovations help 90,000 customers
unlock the possibilities of the world as it could be – smarter,
safer, greener, healthier and more fun. Our commitment to building
a better future is ingrained in everything we do – from the
responsible manufacturing of our semiconductors, to caring for our
employees, to giving back inside our communities. This is just the
beginning of our story. Learn more at www.ti.com.
Trademarks
Sitara and TI E2E are trademarks of Texas Instruments. All other
trademarks and registered trademarks belong to their respective
owners.
Embedded processor | ARM processor | Sitara ARM | ARM Cortex
a8
SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated