Ontario, Canada–Tundra Semiconductor Corp., a leader in System Interconnect for the Internet and communications infrastructure market, today announced that the Tsi921 is available to communications infrastructure vendors for prototype testing. The chip was designed to enable communications infrastructure companies to build smaller network components at a lower cost and get them to market more quickly.

The Tsi921 expands the DSP interconnect family of products from Tundra. In May 2000, Tundra launched the Tsi920, a four-port DSP Packet Manager that improves the performance of DSP-based applications by assuming the direct management of up to 32 DSPs in a single-board system. The Tsi921 is a cost-reduced version of the Tsi920.

The device is a DSP packet manager that supports up to eight multi-core DSPs, including the TI C5000 and C6000 platforms, and Motorola’s MSC8101 (StarCore) DSPs. The Tsi921 enables greater channel density, reduces design effort in software and hardware, reduces intra-system packet latency, increases host processor efficiency, and reduces DSP system cost and complexity. Typical applications include cellular and wireless base stations, voice over packet gateways, routers, PBXs, and remote access concentrators.

Tsi921 prototypes are available with a suggested retail volume price in the mid- to high $20 U.S. range in 10K quantities.