Texas Instruments OMAPL138BGWTMEP

Overview

OMAPL138BGWTMEP from Texas Instruments is a radiation-tolerant, military-grade dual-core SoC integrating a 345-MHz ARM926EJ-S RISC MPU and a 345-MHz TMS320C674x fixed/floating-point VLIW DSP on a single die. It features 256KB L2 unified RAM/cache, 128KB shared RAM, DDR2/mDDR memory controller, and SATA I/II (1.5/3.0 Gbps) interface - deployed in secure embedded systems requiring deterministic real-time signal processing and OS-level application execution, such as airborne radar front-ends and hardened communications gateways.

For engineers reviewing the OMAPL138BGWTMEP datasheet, OMAPL138BGWTMEP pinout, OMAPL138BGWTMEP application, or OMAPL138BGWTMEP equivalent, key selection considerations include dual-core cache partitioning (L1P/L1D/L2), TI Basic Secure Boot with AES-128/SHA-256, extended temperature operation (–55°C to 125°C), and peripheral coexistence constraints across EMIFA, McASP, and VPIF multiplexed pins.

Technical Context

The OMAPL138BGWTMEP implements a tightly coupled ARM+DSP architecture where the ARM926EJ-S handles OS services, user interfaces, and network stack management while the C674x DSP executes real-time baseband processing, FFTs, and filtering algorithms - sharing 128KB dedicated RAM and accessing each other's L2 memory via configurable protection units. Both cores operate at identical 345-MHz clock frequency with independent voltage domains (1.2V core, 1.8V/3.3V I/O).

Its EDMA3 subsystem includes two channel controllers and 64 independent DMA channels enabling zero-CPU-overhead data movement between peripherals (e.g., McASP → L2 RAM → SATA), while the PRUSS provides two 32-bit RISC coprocessors for time-critical I/O control (e.g., PWM synchronization, GPIO event capture) without ARM/DSP intervention.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

OMAPL138BGWTMEP uses a 361-ball SnPb plastic ball grid array (PBGA) package with 0.80-mm ball pitch, designated GWT. Pin assignments follow TI's standardized OMAP-L1x ball map with function multiplexing across banks - all I/Os support 1.8V or 3.3V LVCMOS logic levels except DDR2 and USB PHY interfaces.

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

The following parts are listed as comparable options for similar dual-core DSP+ARM applications.

Compared with OMAPL138BGWTMEP, OMAPL138BZWTMEP offers identical functionality in an environmentally compliant package, while AM1808BZWT removes the DSP core entirely - reducing cost and power but forfeiting hardware-accelerated signal processing capability required for radar, comms waveforms, or medical imaging.

Availability

OMAPL138BGWTMEP is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for avionics, defense electronics, and medical imaging systems requiring stable component supply across extended product lifecycles and extreme environmental conditions.

Supply support for OMAPL138BGWTMEP 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 digital signal processing technologies - with decades of heritage in high-reliability aerospace and defense components.

OMAPL138BGWTMEP belongs to TI's C6-Integra™ family of radiation-tolerant, extended-temperature SoCs designed for mission-critical embedded systems where deterministic dual-core performance, secure boot, and long-term supply assurance are non-negotiable.

FAQ

What is the maximum operating junction temperature for OMAPL138BGWTMEP?

The OMAPL138BGWTMEP is rated for operation from –55°C to +125°C ambient temperature, with corresponding junction temperature limits defined by its thermal resistance (θ_JA = 27.5°C/W for GWT package). Under worst-case 1.2V/345-MHz operation and 125°C ambient, proper PCB thermal design (≥4 oz copper, thermal vias) keeps junction temperature below 155°C - within TI's extended military specification limits.

Does OMAPL138BGWTMEP support boot from NAND flash?

Yes, OMAPL138BGWTMEP supports NAND boot via its EMIFA interface with hardware ECC (up to 8-bit correction). The internal ROM bootloader initializes NAND controller, verifies image integrity using stored checksum, and loads first-stage bootloader (UBL) into internal RAM - enabling field-upgradable, tamper-resistant firmware deployment without external boot devices.

How does the PRU subsystem in OMAPL138BGWTMEP differ from the ARM and DSP cores?

The PRU subsystem in OMAPL138BGWTMEP consists of two independent 32-bit RISC processors (PRU0/PRU1) with dedicated 4KB instruction RAM and 512B data RAM - executing deterministic, low-latency I/O tasks (e.g., encoder counting, PWM edge alignment) without involving ARM or DSP. Unlike the main cores, PRUs lack MMU, caches, or OS abstraction - delivering microsecond-level response for safety-critical control loops.

Can OMAPL138BGWTMEP run Linux and DSP algorithms simultaneously?

Yes, OMAPL138BGWTMEP supports concurrent execution: Linux (or RTOS) runs on the ARM926EJ-S core managing system services, networking, and UI, while proprietary C674x DSP algorithms (e.g., FFT, filtering) execute independently on the DSP core. Inter-processor communication occurs via 128KB shared RAM and EDMA3-managed memory transfers - with cache coherency maintained through explicit invalidate/clean operations.

What peripheral interfaces are multiplexed on the same OMAPL138BGWTMEP pins?

Multiple peripherals share pins on OMAPL138BGWTMEP - for example, Ball D14 serves as either McASP0_AXR0 (audio serial data) or UART1_RTS; Ball K12 functions as either McBSP0_FSX (frame sync) or eHRPWM1A (PWM output). Pin multiplexing is configured at boot via SYSCFG registers and cannot be changed dynamically - requiring fixed hardware design decisions during PCB layout.