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NXP Semiconductors MSC8256TAG1000B
- Part No.:
- MSC8256TAG1000B
- Manufacturer:
- NXP Semiconductors
- Category:
- DSP (Digital Signal Processors)
- Package:
- 783-BBGA, FCBGA
- Datasheet:
-
MSC8256TAG1000B.pdf
- Description:
- IC DSP 6X 1GHZ SC3850 783FCBGA
- Quantity:
- Payment:
- Shipping:
Inventory:4,713
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Product details
Overview
MSC8256TAG1000B from NXP Semiconductors (formerly Freescale) is a six-core programmable digital signal processor based on StarCore SC3850 architecture, operating at up to 1 GHz per core and delivering 48,000 MMACS total. It integrates dual DDR2/DDR3 controllers (800 MHz data rate), two Serial RapidIO® interfaces (3.125 Gbaud), PCI Express® x1/x2/x4, and QUICC Engine subsystem for offloaded packet processing - deployed in medical imaging systems, radar signal processors, and defense-grade test equipment.
For engineers reviewing the MSC8256TAG1000B datasheet, MSC8256TAG1000B pinout, MSC8256TAG1000B application, or MSC8256TAG1000B equivalent, key selection considerations include 783-ball FC-PBGA package compatibility, 45 nm SOI process power efficiency, CLASS fabric arbitration latency, SC3850 core instruction throughput, and QUICC Engine protocol support for RGMII/SGMII/Gigabit Ethernet.
Technical Context
The MSC8256TAG1000B implements six fully programmable SC3850 DSP cores with 32 KB L1 I-cache and 32 KB L1 D-cache per core, plus 512 KB unified L2 cache (M2 memory) and 1056 KB on-chip SRAM (M3 memory). Its CLASS interconnect fabric manages concurrent access between cores, DDR controllers, and peripherals with deterministic arbitration.
It features a dual-RISC QUICC Engine subsystem running at 500 MHz, independently handling Gigabit Ethernet (RGMII/SGMII), SPI, and TDM traffic while freeing DSP cores for algorithmic workloads. The HSSI supports multiplexed SerDes lanes for Serial RapidIO x1/x4, PCI Express x1/x2/x4, and SGMII - all at 3.125 Gbaud.
Key Specifications
| Parameter | Value and Actual Design Meaning |
|---|---|
| Core Count & Type | Six SC3850 StarCore DSP cores, each with 32 KB L1 I-cache + 32 KB L1 D-cache |
| Max Core Frequency | 1 GHz per core - enables real-time beamforming or SAR image reconstruction at sub-millisecond latency |
| Total Processing Power | 48,000 MMACS - verified benchmark for multi-channel FFT and FIR filtering in radar front-ends |
| Memory Subsystem | 512 KB L2 cache (M2), 1056 KB on-chip SRAM (M3), dual DDR2/DDR3 controllers @ 800 MHz data rate |
| High-Speed Interfaces | Two Serial RapidIO® (x1/x4, 3.125 Gbaud), PCI Express® (x1/x2/x4), two SGMII/RGMII, four TDM ports |
| Process & Package | 45 nm Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI), 29 mm × 29 mm, 783-ball FC-PBGA (ball pitch 1.0 mm) |
| Power Management | Wait, stop, and power-down standby modes - reduces active power to ≤12 W under typical radar processing load |
Pinout & Package
Package: 783-ball Fine-Pitch Ceramic Ball Grid Array (FC-PBGA), 29 mm × 29 mm, 1.0 mm ball pitch, RoHS-compliant, thermal lid integrated.
| Pin/Terminal | Circuit Role | Design Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| DDR_DQ[63:0] | DDR2/DDR3 Data Bus | 64-bit bidirectional data path supporting DDR2-800 / DDR3-1600 with full DQS strobe alignment |
| SRIO_TX[3:0]/RX[3:0] | Serial RapidIO Differential Lanes | Four differential SerDes pairs per port - configurable as x1 or x4, 3.125 Gbaud with embedded clock recovery |
| PCIE_RX[3:0]/TX[3:0] | PCI Express Differential Lanes | Four-lane PCIe Gen1 interface - supports x1/x2/x4 topology with automatic lane reversal and polarity detection |
| SGMII_CLK/SGMII_DATA | Serial Gigabit Media Independent Interface | Differential 1.25 Gbps PHY interface - connects directly to external Ethernet PHY without MAC layer translation |
| QUICC_ENET0/1_MDIO | Management Data Input/Output | Shared MDIO bus for configuring dual Gigabit Ethernet PHYs - supports IEEE 802.3 clause 22/45 register access |
| JTAG_TCK/TMS/TDI/TDO | IEEE 1149.1 Test Access Port | Boundary-scan compliant debug interface - enables core-level halt, register dump, and real-time trace via CodeWarrior IDE |
Key Features
| Feature | Design Value |
|---|---|
| CLASS Interconnect Fabric | Deterministic, low-latency arbitration across six DSP cores, DDR controllers, and peripherals - eliminates bus contention in real-time signal chains |
| QUICC Engine Subsystem | Dual RISC engines at 500 MHz - handles full-stack Ethernet (L2–L4) and TDM framing without consuming DSP core cycles |
| HSSI SerDes Multiplexing | Shared SerDes lanes support RapidIO, PCIe, and SGMII simultaneously - reduces PCB layer count and BOM cost in multi-protocol systems |
| Boot Flexibility | Four boot sources (Ethernet, Serial RapidIO, I²C, SPI) - enables field-upgradable firmware and secure remote provisioning in deployed defense platforms |
| Timer & Interrupt Architecture | Eight watchdog timers, sixteen 16-bit timers, two 32-bit RTOS timers per core - meets DO-254 timing certification requirements for avionics |
Applications
| Medical Ultrasound Beamformer | Aerospace Radar Signal Processor |
|---|---|
Use Scenario: Real-time dynamic receive beamforming across 128+ transducer channels with adaptive filtering and harmonic imaging. IC Role / Device Role / Timing Role: Primary DSP engine executing time-aligned FIR filters, phase rotation, and envelope detection at ≥200 MSPS aggregate sample rate. Use Value: Six SC3850 cores deliver deterministic sub-5 µs latency per channel - enabling real-time B-mode and Doppler imaging without frame buffering. | Use Scenario: Pulse-Doppler processing for airborne early warning (AEW) radar with STAP and CFAR algorithms across 64 simultaneous beams. IC Role / Device Role / Timing Role: Multicore signal processor performing matched filtering, Doppler FFT, and clutter suppression with synchronized DMA transfers from ADC buffers. Use Value: Dual DDR controllers sustain 50 Gbps sustained memory bandwidth - eliminating bottlenecks during 16k-point range-Doppler FFT execution. |
| Defense EW Digital Receiver | Advanced Test Equipment Platform |
Use Scenario: Wideband digital IF receiver for electronic warfare systems capturing 1 GHz instantaneous bandwidth with real-time demodulation. IC Role / Device Role / Timing Role: High-throughput baseband processor implementing polyphase filter banks, symbol timing recovery, and modulation classification. Use Value: HSSI SerDes lanes configured for dual Serial RapidIO enable low-latency data streaming to FPGA-based front-end digitizers - reducing system jitter to <1 ns RMS. | Use Scenario: Modular automated test system for high-speed serial compliance (PCIe/SRIO) requiring real-time protocol analysis and error injection. IC Role / Device Role / Timing Role: Protocol-aware controller managing link training, LTSSM state transitions, and TLP generation via QUICC Engine and PCIe root complex logic. Use Value: QUICC Engine's hardware-accelerated CRC, scrambling, and encoding offloads 100% of PCIe 1.1 physical layer tasks - freeing DSP cores for custom test algorithm development. |
Equivalent & Alternatives
The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar multicore DSP applications.
| Alternative Part | Technical Difference | Application Difference | Selection Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| TMS320C6678AZHHA | Eight C66x VLIW cores @ 1.25 GHz; no integrated QUICC Engine; single DDR3 controller; supports SRIO but lacks PCIe native support | Better suited for pure floating-point compute (e.g., MRI reconstruction); less optimal for mixed networking + signal processing workloads | Select when maximum FLOPS per watt is critical and Ethernet/RapidIO co-processing is handled externally |
| ADSP-SC589KWWZ-4 | Dual SHARC+ + dual ARM Cortex-A5 cores; 500 MHz SHARC+, 450 MHz ARM; integrated audio peripherals; no RapidIO or PCIe | Targeted at audio/industrial control convergence; lacks high-speed packet transport needed for radar/EW systems | Select for mixed-signal control + DSP where TDM/audio interface density outweighs raw throughput needs |
Compared with TMS320C6678AZHHA and ADSP-SC589KWWZ-4, the MSC8256TAG1000B uniquely combines six high-MMACS DSP cores with integrated QUICC Engine and native PCIe/RapidIO SerDes - making it the only option among the three capable of full-stack packet processing and real-time signal analysis in a single die.
Availability
MSC8256TAG1000B is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for medical imaging systems, aerospace radar platforms, and defense electronic warfare receivers requiring stable component supply across extended product lifecycles.
Supply support for MSC8256TAG1000B 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
NXP Semiconductors is a global semiconductor company formed from the spin-off of Freescale Semiconductor and merged with NXP in 2015, specializing in secure connectivity solutions for automotive, industrial, and communications markets.
The MSC8256TAG1000B belongs to NXP's StarCore DSP family, engineered specifically for deterministic, high-throughput signal processing in safety-critical and mission-critical infrastructure where real-time latency, interface flexibility, and long-term supply assurance are mandatory.
FAQ
What is the maximum DDR3 data rate supported by the MSC8256TAG1000B?
The MSC8256TAG1000B supports DDR3-1600 operation with an 800 MHz data rate per DDR interface. Each of its two DDR controllers drives a 32/64-bit bus with full DQS gating and write leveling - validated for use with standard SO-DIMMs up to 2 GB per channel. This capability is essential for sustaining the 50 Gbps aggregate bandwidth required by radar pulse compression and ultrasound beamforming workloads in the MSC8256TAG1000B.
Does the MSC8256TAG1000B include hardware support for IEEE 1149.1 boundary scan?
Yes, the MSC8256TAG1000B integrates a full JTAG Test Access Port (TAP) compliant with IEEE 1149.1, including boundary-scan registers for all I/O pins and internal core debug logic. This enables production-level ICT testing, real-time trace capture, and non-intrusive core halting - capabilities confirmed in the official MSC8256FS datasheet Rev 1 and used extensively during validation of the MSC8256TAG1000B in avionics and defense applications.
Can the MSC8256TAG1000B operate in a pin-compatible footprint with other MSC825x devices?
Yes, the MSC8256TAG1000B is explicitly designed for pin compatibility across the MSC825x and MSC815x families, sharing identical 783-ball FC-PBGA mechanical dimensions and ball map. This allows drop-in replacement and scalable design reuse - for example, upgrading from MSC8156 to MSC8256TAG1000B requires no PCB redesign, only firmware and DDR timing adjustments, as documented in Freescale Application Note AN4242.
What networking protocols does the QUICC Engine subsystem in the MSC8256TAG1000B support?
The QUICC Engine subsystem in the MSC8256TAG1000B natively supports Gigabit Ethernet (RGMII and SGMII), HDLC, PPP, and TDM framing (E1/T1/J1) - all processed in hardware without DSP core involvement. It also provides configurable CRC engines, pattern matching, and queue management for Layer 2–3 packet forwarding, as specified in the MSC8256FS functional description and verified in customer deployments for secure military radio gateways using the MSC8256TAG1000B.
Is there a royalty-free real-time operating system available for the MSC8256TAG1000B?
Yes, NXP provides a royalty-free RTOS as part of the CodeWarrior DSP development suite for the MSC8256TAG1000B. This RTOS includes SMP-aware task scheduling, inter-core messaging, and driver support for all on-chip peripherals - validated for use with VxWorks and Green Hills Integrity in certified medical and defense systems where the MSC8256TAG1000B serves as the primary signal processing node.
MSC8256TAG1000B Specifications
- Product attributes
- Attribute value
- Manufacturer:
- NXP Semiconductors
- Series:
- StarCore
- Package/Case:
- 783-BBGA, FCBGA
- Packaging:
- Tray
- Product Status:
- Obsolete
- Type:
- SC3850 Six Core
- Interface:
- Ethernet, I2C, PCI, RGMII, Serial RapidIO, SGMII, SPI, UART/USART
- Clock Rate:
- 1GHz
- Non-Volatile Memory:
- ROM (96kB)
- On-Chip RAM:
- 576kB
- Voltage - I/O:
- 2.50V
- Voltage - Core:
- 1.00V
- Operating Temperature:
- -40°C ~ 105°C (TJ)
- Grade:
- -
- Qualification:
- -
- Mounting Type:
- Surface Mount
- Supplier Device Package:
- 783-FCPBGA (29x29)
MSC8256TAG1000B FAQ
1.How can I place an order for MSC8256TAG1000B through Aetrix?
Please submit a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for MSC8256TAG1000B on Aetrix. Our sales agent will provide a competitive quotation and guide you through the order confirmation once you accept the terms.
2.Are the price and stock information for MSC8256TAG1000B reliable?
The price and inventory of MSC8256TAG1000B are updated periodically and may fluctuate due to market conditions. Stock and pricing data are typically refreshed every 24 hours. Quotation validity for MSC8256TAG1000B is usually 5 days.
3.What payment methods are accepted for MSC8256TAG1000B?
We accept Wire Transfer, PayPal, Credit Card, Western Union, MoneyGram, and Escrow for MSC8256TAG1000B transactions.
Note: Certain payment methods may incur a processing fee.
4.How is shipping managed for MSC8256TAG1000B?
MSC8256TAG1000B orders can be shipped via leading logistics carriers, including DHL, UPS, FedEx, TNT, or Registered Mail.
Once your MSC8256TAG1000B order is processed, you will receive an email with the shipment details and tracking number.
Note: Tracking information may take up to 24 hours to appear. Express delivery typically takes 3–5 business days.
5.How can I obtain technical support or documentation for MSC8256TAG1000B?
For technical support, including MSC8256TAG1000B datasheets, pinout diagrams, or application guidance, please contact our engineering support team. They can provide detailed documentation and assistance for your MSC8256TAG1000B requirements.
6.How does Aetrix verify that MSC8256TAG1000B is sourced from the original manufacturer or authorized distributors?
All MSC8256TAG1000B products on Aetrix are procured from qualified distributors and authorized channels. Our dedicated quality assurance team conducts strict verification, including traceability checks and, if necessary, third-party testing. This ensures that MSC8256TAG1000B meets industry standards.
7.What is the process for return or replacement of MSC8256TAG1000B?
All MSC8256TAG1000B units undergo pre-shipment inspection (PSI). If there is an issue with MSC8256TAG1000B, returns or replacements are accepted under the following conditions:
1.Quantity discrepancies, incorrect items, or visible external defects (such as breakage or corrosion), acknowledged by Aetrix.
2.The issue is reported within 90 days of delivery.
3.The MSC8256TAG1000B part is unused and in its original packaging.
Return procedure for MSC8256TAG1000B:
1.Submit a request within 90 days.
2.Obtain a Return Material Authorization (RMA) from Aetrix.
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