Achieving Efficient Memory System Performance w/ I-Cache on the TMS320VC5501/02 (Rev. A)

The TMS320VC5501 and TMS320VC5502 were designed as low cost DSPs for low cost real-time solutions. In order to achieve the best performance with these processors the system designer must follow the guidelines provided in the application report.

1. Execute code from external memory with the on-chip I-Cache enabled.
2. Locate data in internal memory at run time.
3. Use the External Memory Interface (EMIF) at its maximum clock frequency

The application report will present the performance of several popular algorithms implemented on the C5502: G.729AB and G.723.1 vocoders for telecommunications, MP3 decoder for audio and JPEG decoder for imaging. It will be shown that when the above guidelines are followed, the best performance will be achieved.