Texas Instruments AM3358BGCZA80EP

Overview

AM3358BGCZA80EP from Texas Instruments is an industrial-grade Sitara™ ARM® Cortex®-A8 microprocessor operating at 800 MHz, integrating a PowerVR SGX530 3D graphics engine, dual-port gigabit Ethernet MAC with IEEE 1588v2 support, PRU-ICSS for real-time industrial protocols (PROFINET, EtherNet/IP), and 12-bit 200-kSPS ADC with touch-screen controller. It targets rugged embedded systems requiring deterministic I/O, secure boot, and extended temperature operation.

For engineers reviewing the AM3358BGCZA80EP datasheet, AM3358BGCZA80EP pinout, AM3358BGCZA80EP application, or AM3358BGCZA80EP equivalent, key selection criteria include its -40°C to +105°C operating range, 324-ball GCZ package with 0.8-mm pitch, dual 10/100/1000-Mbps EMACs with integrated switch, PRU-ICSS programmability for protocol offload, and hardware crypto acceleration (AES/SHA/PKA/RNG).

Technical Context

The AM3358BGCZA80EP implements a heterogeneous architecture: the Cortex-A8 core handles high-level OS tasks (Linux/Android), while the dual-programmable PRU-ICSS subsystem operates independently at 200 MHz to execute time-critical industrial communication stacks without CPU intervention. Its memory subsystem includes 32KB L1 instruction + 32KB L1 data cache (with parity), 256KB L2 cache (with ECC), 64KB on-chip RAM, and 64KB OCMC RAM supporting retention for fast wake-up.

Power management is handled by the PRCM module featuring five ADPLLs for clock generation, SmartReflex™ Class 2B adaptive voltage scaling, and three switchable power domains (MPU, GFX, PER). The device supports multiple boot modes via configuration pins and includes JTAG/cJTAG debug interfaces compliant with IEEE 1500 and boundary scan.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

The AM3358BGCZA80EP uses a 324-ball S-PBGA-N324 (GCZ) package with 0.8-mm ball pitch and 15.00 mm × 15.00 mm body size. Ball assignments are defined across left/middle/right sections per TI's official pin map (SLUSC35B Rev B, Section 4.1.1).

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar microprocessor applications.

Compared with AM3358BGCZA80EP, AM3359BZCZD80EP offers identical real-time I/O and industrial protocol support but adds verified secure boot and richer graphics; AM4379BZDNA80EP delivers higher compute density and future-proof peripheral sets at the cost of increased power and layout complexity.

Availability

AM3358BGCZA80EP is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for aerospace avionics, defense communications, and medical imaging terminals requiring stable component supply across extended product lifecycles.

Supply support for AM3358BGCZA80EP includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

Texas Instruments is a global semiconductor leader specializing in analog, embedded processing, and connectivity technologies for industrial, automotive, and aerospace markets.

The AM335x Sitara processor family was engineered for deterministic real-time control in harsh environments, combining ARM application processors with programmable PRUs and industrial-grade qualification.

FAQ

What is the maximum operating frequency of the AM3358BGCZA80EP processor core?

The AM3358BGCZA80EP features an ARM Cortex-A8 core rated for up to 800 MHz operation under specified thermal and voltage conditions. This frequency is validated across the full -40°C to +105°C industrial temperature range and supports sustained 1600 MIPS performance for Linux-based real-time applications. The AM3358BGCZA80EP does not support dynamic overclocking beyond this specification.

Does the AM3358BGCZA80EP support IEEE 1588v2 Precision Time Protocol?

Yes, the AM3358BGCZA80EP includes hardware timestamping logic in both Ethernet MACs to fully support IEEE 1588v2 PTP. This enables sub-microsecond synchronization accuracy for industrial motion control and test equipment. The AM3358BGCZA80EP implements PTP event message timestamping at the PHY interface level, reducing software overhead and jitter compared to software-only implementations.

What industrial communication protocols are supported by the PRU-ICSS in the AM3358BGCZA80EP?

The PRU-ICSS in the AM3358BGCZA80EP natively supports PROFIBUS, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, Sercos III, and Ethernet Powerlink through TI-provided firmware libraries. These protocols execute deterministically on the dual 200-MHz PRUs, independent of the Cortex-A8 OS scheduler. The AM3358BGCZA80EP's PRU-ICSS also provides direct GPIO access and low-latency interrupt response (<50 ns) for custom protocol development.

What is the function of the VDDSHV6 power domain in the AM3358BGCZA80EP?

VDDSHV6 supplies 3.3 V to high-voltage I/O banks including MMC0, McASP0, and select GPIOs, enabling direct interfacing with 3.3-V peripherals without level shifters. In the AM3358BGCZA80EP, this rail powers pins such as MMC0_DAT2/3, MCASP0_AHCLKX, and UART1_CTSn/RTSn. It must be decoupled with 10 µF + 0.1 µF capacitors per TI's power sequencing guidelines in SLUSC35B Section 6.1.

How does the AM3358BGCZA80EP handle secure boot and firmware authentication?

The AM3358BGCZA80EP implements secure boot using one-time-programmable (OTP) fuses in its FuseFarm to store cryptographic keys and boot policy flags. During reset, the on-chip ROM loader verifies signed firmware images using SHA-256 and RSA-2048 before execution. The AM3358BGCZA80EP also integrates hardware AES-256 and PKA accelerators to perform decryption and signature validation at line rate, ensuring tamper-resistant firmware updates in defense and medical applications.