MSC8256: High-Performance Six-Core DSP

The MSC8256 is based on the industry’s highest-performance DSP core built on StarCore® technology and designed for the advanced processing requirements and capabilities of today’s high-performance industrial applications for the medical imaging, aerospace, defense and advanced test and measurement markets. It delivers industry-leading performance and power savings, leveraging 45 nm process technology in a highly integrated system-on-chip (SoC) to provide performance equivalent to a 6 GHz, single-core device. The MSC8256 helps equipment manufacturers create end products and services that integrate more functionality in a smaller hardware footprint.

The MSC8256 DSP delivers a high level of performance and integration, combining six enhanced fully programmable SC3850 cores each running at up to 1GHz. The SC3850 DSP core has been independently assessed to enable 40 percent more processing capability per MHz than the nearest DSP competition. A high-performance internal RISC-based QUICC Engine® subsystem supports multiple networking protocols to guarantee reliable data transport over packet networks while significantly offloading processing from the DSP cores.

The MSC8256 embeds a substantial amount of internal memory to support a variety of advanced, high-speed interface types, including two RapidIO® interfaces, two gigabit Ethernet interfaces for network communications, a PCI Express® controller, two DDR controllers for high-speed, industry standard memory interface and four multichannel TDM interfaces. The MSC8256 allows a high degree of scalability through pin compatibility with all MSC825x and MSC815x DSP devices.

MSC8256 High-Performance Six-Core DSP Block Diagram
MSC8256 High-Performance Six-Core DSP Product Image
SmartDSP OS Enablement Tools (For MSC815x and Derivatives) - Technical Overview
特性
  • Six StarCore® DSP SC3850 core subsystems each with:
    • SC3850 DSP core at up to 1 GHz
    • 512 KB unified L2 cache/M2 memory
    • 32 KB I-cache, 32 KB D-cache
    • Fully programmable 1056 KB M3 shared memory (SRAM)
  • SC3850 DSP core at up to 1 GHz
  • 512 KB unified L2 cache/M2 memory
  • 32 KB I-cache, 32 KB D-cache
  • Fully programmable 1056 KB M3 shared memory (SRAM)
  • Two DDR 2/3 64-bit SDRAM interfaces at up to 800 MHz data rate
  • Chip-level arbitration and switching fabric, non-blocking, fully pipelined, low-latency
  • High-speed interconnects
    • Dual 4x/1x Serial RapidIO at 1.25/2.5/3.125 Gbaud
    • PCI Express 4x/1x
    • Two SGMII
  • Dual 4x/1x Serial RapidIO at 1.25/2.5/3.125 Gbaud
  • PCI Express 4x/1x
  • Two SGMII
  • Dual RISC QUICC Engine® supporting
    • RGMII gigabit Ethernet ports
    • Serial peripheral interface (SPI)
  • RGMII gigabit Ethernet ports
  • Serial peripheral interface (SPI)
  • TDM highway 1024 ch., 400 Mbps, divided into four ports of 256
  • DMA engine 16 bi-directional channels
  • Other peripheral interfaces
    • UART
    • I²C
    • 32 GPIO
    • 16 timers
  • UART
  • I²C
  • 32 GPIO
  • 16 timers
  • Technology
    • Process: 45 nm SOI
    • Voltage: 1-volt core, 2.5, 1.8/1.5-volt I/O
    • Package: FC-BPGA (29 x 29) 1-mm pitch, RoHS
  • Process: 45 nm SOI
  • Voltage: 1-volt core, 2.5, 1.8/1.5-volt I/O
  • Package: FC-BPGA (29 x 29) 1-mm pitch, RoHS
  • This product is included in NXP®.s product longevity program, with assured supply for a minimum of 10 years after launch
Recommended Documentation (1)
Name/DescriptionTypeModified Date
Multi-core DSP Fact Sheet (REV 1) PDF (778.9 kB) MSC8256FSFact Sheets20 Oct 2010
Data Sheets (1)
Name/DescriptionModified Date
MSC8256 Six-Core Digital Signal Processor - Data Sheet (REV 6) PDF (699.8 kB) MSC825630 Jul 2013
Application Notes (33)
Name/DescriptionModified Date
Kernel Examples for the StarCore® SC3850 DSP Core (REV 2) PDF (743.5 kB) AN420704 May 2012
MSC815x/MSC825x DSP Family Design Checklst (REV 1) PDF (571.2 kB) AN365508 Dec 2011
Windows 7: Using USB TAP on a Classic CodeWarrior® Installation (MGT V9.2 - DSC V8.3) (REV 1) PDF (540.3 kB) AN433807 Dec 2011
MSC815x/MSC825x PCI Express Performance (REV 1) PDF (295.0 kB) AN393521 Nov 2011
MSC815x Serial RapidIO Boot: SmartDSP Boot of MSC8156AMC from an ADS Host (REV 0) PDF (239.8 kB) AN432119 Aug 2011
A Guide to Linking Multicore Applicaton Code for StarCore® MSC8156 DSPs (REV 1) PDF (1.5 MB) AN417620 Jul 2011
Configuring an Asymmetric Multicore Application for StarCore® DSPs (REV 3) PDF (995.8 kB) AN406322 Jun 2011
MSC81xx Ethernet Boot Test (REV 1) PDF (1.8 MB) AN343620 Jun 2011
Improve Program Execution Speed Using Ethernet File I/O for StarCore® DSPs (REV 0) PDF (587.3 kB) AN430803 May 2011
AN4108 - Config CodeWarrior® IDE for MSC8156 Deriv.pdf (REV 1) PDF (482.7 kB) AN410816 Feb 2011
Converting Earlier Versions of CodeWarrior® for StarCore® DSPs Projects to Version... (REV 1) PDF (1.5 MB) AN425321 Jan 2011
Asymmetric C++ Multicore Application for StarCore® DSPs (REV 0) PDF (712.8 kB) AN422006 Jan 2011
Software Analysis Tips and Tricks Using CodeWarrior® for StarCore® DSPs (REV 0) PDF (487.3 kB) AN425005 Jan 2011
Software Optimization of FFTs and IFFTs Using the SC3850 Core (REV 0) PDF (539.6 kB) AN366620 Nov 2010
Software Optimizatin of DFTs and IDFTs Using the StarCore® SC3850 DSP Core (REV 0) PDF (743.1 kB) AN368020 Nov 2010
Multicore MSC8156 MJPEG® Demo for the MSC8156EVM. (REV 1) PDF (126.9 kB) EB73819 Nov 2010
Configuring a Mixed Asymmetric Multicore Application for StarCore® DSPs (REV 0) PDF (774.3 kB) AN415520 Oct 2010
Ethernet Jumbo Frames in SmartDSP OS Applications (REV 0) PDF (120.0 kB) AN419613 Aug 2010
Debugging Multicore StarCore® DSP Applications with Eclipse (REV 0) PDF (1.3 MB) AN414530 Jun 2010
C Code Optimization Examples for the StarCore®® SC3850 Core (REV 0) PDF (196.0 kB) AN367425 Apr 2010
RapidIO Technology in Wireless Base Stations: Programming DSPs over a RapidIO Interconnect (REV 0) PDF (578.7 kB) AN366108 Jan 2009
Reference Manuals (1)
Name/DescriptionModified Date
MSC8256 Reference Manual (REV 0) PDF (16.5 MB) MSC8256RM11 Jul 2011
Product Briefs (1)
Name/DescriptionModified Date
MSC8256 Product Brief (REV 1) PDF (118.6 kB) MSC8256PB06 May 2011
Fact Sheets (1)
Name/DescriptionModified Date
Multi-core DSP Fact Sheet (REV 1) PDF (778.9 kB) MSC8256FS20 Oct 2010
Brochures (1)
Name/DescriptionModified Date
Beyond DSPs StarCore® MSC8xxx and DSP56K Families - Brochures (REV 1) PDF (4.2 MB) BYNDDSPBRO10 Dec 2010
Ordering Information
ProductStatusBudgetary Price excluding tax(US$)Package Type and Termination CountCore TypeOperating Frequency (Max) (MHz)Core: Number of cores (Spec)Ambient Operating Temperature (Min-Max) (°C)Cache (KB)L2 Cache (Max) (KB)Internal RAM (KB)External Memory SupportedTotal DMA ChannelsEthernet TypeAdditional Features
MSC8256SAG1000BActive1K @ US$121.62FCPBGA 783
MSC8256ESAG1000BActiveFCPBGA 783
MSC8256TAG1000BActive1K @ US$133.79FCPBGA 783
MSC8256ETAG1000BActiveFCPBGA 783
MSC8256ESVT1000BNo Longer ManufacturedFCPBGA 783100060 to 10532512SDRAM, DDR1GBaseT, SGMIIMemory Management Unit (MMU), PLL
MSC8256TVT800BNo Longer Manufactured8006-40 to 10532512SDRAM, DDR1GBaseT, SGMIIMemory Management Unit (MMU), PLL
MSC8256SVT1000BNo Longer ManufacturedFCPBGA 783SC3850100060 to 10532512SDRAM, DDR161GBaseT, SGMIIMemory Management Unit (MMU), PLL
MSC8256SVT800BNo Longer Manufactured80060 to 10532512SDRAM, DDR1GBaseT, SGMIIMemory Management Unit (MMU), PLL
MSC8256TVT1000BNo Longer ManufacturedFCPBGA 783SC385010006-40 to 10532512SDRAM, DDR161GBaseT, SGMIIMemory Management Unit (MMU), PLL
PC8256SVT1000BNo Longer ManufacturedFCBGA 783
Package Information
Package DescriptionOutline VersionPackingProduct StatusPart NumberChemical ContentRoHS / Pb FreeChina RoHS LookupMSLPPT (°C)
FCPBGA 783 29SQ3.55P1.098ARE10738DMPQ - 36 TRAYPOQ - 180 BRICKActiveMSC8256SAG1000BMSC8256SAG1000B.pdf3245
MPQ - 180 BRICKPOQ - 180 BOXActiveMSC8256TAG1000BMSC8256TAG1000B.pdf3245
MPQ - 36 TRAYPOQ - 180 BOXActiveMSC8256ESAG1000BMSC8256ESAG1000B.pdf3245
MPQ - 1 EACHPOQ - 180 BOXActiveMSC8256ETAG1000BMSC8256ETAG1000B.pdf3245
No Longer ManufacturedPC8256SVT1000BPC8256SVT1000B.pdf3245
No Longer ManufacturedMSC8256SVT1000BMSC8256SVT1000B.pdf3245
No Longer ManufacturedMSC8256SVT800BMSC8256SVT800B.pdf3245
No Longer ManufacturedMSC8256TVT1000BMSC8256TVT1000B.pdf3245
No Longer ManufacturedMSC8256TVT800BMSC8256TVT800B.pdf3245
No Longer ManufacturedMSC8256ESVT1000BMSC8256ESVT1000B.pdf3245
MSC8256 Six-Core Digital Signal Processor - Data Sheet msc8256
Kernel Examples for the StarCore® SC3850 DSP Core msc8251
MSC815x/MSC825x DSP Family Design Checklst msc8251
Windows 7: Using USB TAP on a Classic CodeWarrior® Installation (MGT V9.2 - DSC V8.3) msc8251
MSC815x/MSC825x PCI Express Performance msc8251
MSC815x Serial RapidIO Boot: SmartDSP Boot of MSC8156AMC from an ADS Host msc8251
A Guide to Linking Multicore Applicaton Code for StarCore® MSC8156 DSPs msc8251
Configuring an Asymmetric Multicore Application for StarCore® DSPs msc8256
MSC81xx Ethernet Boot Test msc8251
Improve Program Execution Speed Using Ethernet File I/O for StarCore® DSPs msc8251
AN4108 - Config CodeWarrior® IDE for MSC8156 Deriv.pdf msc8251
Converting Earlier Versions of CodeWarrior® for StarCore® DSPs Projects to Version... msc8251
Asymmetric C++ Multicore Application for StarCore® DSPs msc8256
Software Analysis Tips and Tricks Using CodeWarrior® for StarCore® DSPs msc8251
Software Optimization of FFTs and IFFTs Using the SC3850 Core msc8251
Software Optimizatin of DFTs and IDFTs Using the StarCore® SC3850 DSP Core msc8251
Multicore MSC8156 MJPEG® Demo for the MSC8156EVM. msc8251
Configuring a Mixed Asymmetric Multicore Application for StarCore® DSPs msc8256
Ethernet Jumbo Frames in SmartDSP OS Applications msc8251
Debugging Multicore StarCore® DSP Applications with Eclipse msc8251
C Code Optimization Examples for the StarCore®® SC3850 Core msc8251
RapidIO Technology in Wireless Base Stations: Programming DSPs over a RapidIO Interconnect msc8251
MSC8256 Reference Manual msc8256
MSC8256 Product Brief msc8256
Multi-core DSP Fact Sheet msc8256
Beyond DSPs StarCore® MSC8xxx and DSP56K Families - Brochures msc8251
98ARE10738D msc8251
MSC8256SAG1000B.pdf msc8256
MSC8256TAG1000B.pdf msc8256
MSC8256ESAG1000B.pdf msc8256
MSC8256ETAG1000B.pdf msc8256
PC8256SVT1000B.pdf msc8256
MSC8256SVT1000B.pdf msc8256
MSC8256SVT800B.pdf msc8256
MSC8256TVT1000B.pdf msc8256
MSC8256TVT800B.pdf msc8256
MSC8256ESVT1000B.pdf msc8256