Texas Instruments OMAPL138EZWT4

Overview

OMAPL138EZWT4 from Texas Instruments is a dual-core C6000™ DSP + ARM® SoC integrating a 456-MHz ARM926EJ-S RISC MPU and a 456-MHz C674x VLIW DSP, with 256KB L2 unified RAM/cache, 128KB shared RAM, and 1.8-/3.3-V LVCMOS I/Os. It targets industrial portable navigation, smart grid substation protection, and biometric identification systems requiring deterministic real-time signal processing and embedded OS support.

For engineers reviewing the OMAPL138EZWT4 datasheet, OMAPL138EZWT4 pinout, OMAPL138EZWT4 application, or OMAPL138EZWT4 equivalent, this page delivers verified core frequencies, cache architecture, EMAC/USB/SATA peripheral specs, PRUSS subsystem details, and validated alternative parts for mixed-signal edge computing designs.

Technical Context

The OMAPL138EZWT4 implements a tightly coupled dual-core architecture where the ARM926EJ-S handles OS services, user interfaces, and control tasks using MMU-managed memory, while the C674x DSP executes high-throughput floating-point (SP/DP) and fixed-point signal processing with hardware-accelerated FFT, filtering, and matrix operations. Both cores share access to 256KB L2 memory and 128KB dedicated shared RAM.

Its memory subsystem includes separate 16KB instruction and data caches for ARM, 32KB L1P/L1D for DSP, and flexible L2 partitioning; peripherals include a 10/100-Mbps EMAC with MII/RMII, USB 2.0 OTG + USB 1.1 OHCI, SATA I/II controller, two McASP/McBSP audio ports, VPIF video interface, and programmable PRUSS with dual 32-bit RISC cores for offloading time-critical I/O tasks.

Key Specifications

Pinout & Package

OMAPL138EZWT4 uses a 361-ball NFBGA package (ZWT suffix) with 0.80-mm ball pitch and 16.0 mm × 16.0 mm body size. Pin functions are defined per TI SPRS586J Rev J (January 2017), including dedicated balls for DDR2 DQ/DQS, EMAC MDIO/MII, USB0/USB1 PHY lanes, McASP clock/data, and PRUSS GPIO.

Key Features

Applications

Equivalent & Alternatives

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

Compared with OMAPL138ZCE, OMAPL138EZWT4 offers superior thermal headroom and relaxed BGA escape routing; versus AM3358BZCZ100, it delivers deterministic DSP acceleration and hardware PRU offload - critical for sub-millisecond control loops in industrial and telecom infrastructure.

Availability

OMAPL138EZWT4 is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for industrial portable navigation, smart grid substation protection, and biometric identification systems requiring stable component supply across extended product lifecycles.

Supply support for OMAPL138EZWT4 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 company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, delivering analog and embedded processing solutions for industrial, automotive, and communications markets since 1930.

The OMAP-L138 product line was designed for cost-sensitive, low-power industrial edge devices needing deterministic real-time processing, secure boot, and rich peripheral integration - bridging the gap between microcontrollers and high-end application processors.

FAQ

What is the maximum operating frequency of the OMAPL138EZWT4 ARM and DSP cores?

The OMAPL138EZWT4 operates both its ARM926EJ-S and C674x DSP cores at 456 MHz under 1.3-V core supply conditions. This frequency is validated per TI SPRS586J Rev J and requires compliant DDR2 timing, thermal management below 95°C junction temperature, and stable 1.3-V ±3% core rail. The 456-MHz rating enables higher throughput for real-time control and signal processing versus the 375-MHz variant.

Does the OMAPL138EZWT4 support secure boot, and what cryptographic algorithms are used?

Yes, the OMAPL138EZWT4 implements TI Basic Secure Boot using AES-128 for boot image encryption and SHA-256 for image authentication. The process starts from a hardware root-of-trust, validates the encrypted image before loading into L2 RAM, and locks JTAG by default. This meets IEC 62443-3-3 SL2 requirements and protects proprietary algorithms in applications like biometric identification and smart grid protection.

What peripheral interfaces does the OMAPL138EZWT4 provide for high-speed data acquisition?

The OMAPL138EZWT4 supports high-speed data acquisition via its 16-bit Universal Parallel Port (uPP) with dual-channel DDR transfers up to 125 MSPS, two McASP ports with 16 serializers and FIFOs for audio/sensor streams, and PRUSS GPIO with sub-100-ns timing resolution. These interfaces enable direct connection to ADCs, FPGAs, and RF front-ends without CPU bottlenecks - critical for RRU and machine vision use cases.

Can the OMAPL138EZWT4 execute both ARM and DSP code simultaneously, and how is memory shared?

Yes, the OMAPL138EZWT4 executes ARM and DSP code concurrently using independent AHB buses and memory management units. Shared resources include 256KB L2 memory (configurable as cache or RAM) and 128KB dedicated shared RAM. Coherency is maintained via explicit memory barriers and EDMA3-controlled data movement - eliminating race conditions in applications like industrial navigation where ARM handles UI and DSP runs sensor fusion.

What is the function of the PRUSS subsystem in the OMAPL138EZWT4, and how is it used in practice?

The PRUSS in the OMAPL138EZWT4 contains two independent 32-bit RISC cores (PRU0/PRU1), each with 4KB instruction RAM and 512B data RAM, designed for ultra-low-latency I/O control. In practice, it handles time-critical tasks such as encoder quadrature decoding, PWM waveform generation with nanosecond jitter control, and custom protocol bridging - freeing the ARM and DSP cores for higher-level computation in applications like motor drives and RRU baseband processing.