TMS320C6713B: Can I use TI-RTOS with the TMS320C6713 or do I have to use DSP/BIOS?

Hello!

Eclipse based CCS still can work with older DSP/BIOS, and that seems the only option with hardware you have.

What usually left unsaid, but bothers me the most is debugging experience. DSP/BIOS together with CCS v3.x were using RTDX transport to deliver debugging data. This way one could have watch expressions, graphs, logs updated while target is running normally. It is useful for real time application debugging. However, RTDX support was dropped with introduction of Eclipse CCS, so you'll have no other option except stop-mode debugging. That is you run you app blindly, then halt and read what was accumulated in logs. If that's okay, you're good to go this way. I love Eclipse based CCS, but my work requires those debug features, so I am running CCS v3.3 from virtual machine.

Thank your for making this clear. I am not going to use CCS3, because I don't want to get eye cancer. I really don't understand why TI is dropping support for older boards with newer CCS versions. IDEs from other companies don't have this problem and usually ship with a package manager where you can install the board support libraries in a package manager. 

Hello Jan

I realize that the situation is not ideal, if you are starting a new development with c6713. It is indeed a very old device, which came out almost ~18 yrs back, last datasheet update was in 2006 and I do not recall us doing any new software update for most than 12 years now. 

So while TI RTOS is just one aspect, I expect you to run into issues with it across the board on CCS, EVM availability (at some point), legacy software and compilers, some that has not been validated with Window 10 etc. 

C6713 is active, because we have a big legacy customer base and we will continue to ship silicon per our TI standard guidelines 

However application support will be limited as listed on the product folder and no refresh planned on the software and tools. 

We have newer devices like C6748 , that I consider as 2 generations newer to where c6713 was. Although some customers still like the simplicity of c6713 etc.

If this is a new design, I would encourage you to look at c6748. 

Hope this helps clarify the support stand (although it may not be ideal for your situation).

Regards

Mukul 

Hi Mukul,

thank you for making things clearer. I am using this board, because it is still used at our University due to its legendary robustness. I bought this one to be able to study during the pandemic, since we could not enter the labs for almost a year now. I also want to use it for a project to build an audio effects pedal for guitars. I want to daisy-chain effects and meanwhile monitor external input parameters to control the effects. Not sure if I definitely need an RTOS for this, but it would make things easier. A 200 € evaluation board would be a little over-the-top for this application. At some point I will buy a newer board, but right now it must suffice. 

Jan 

Understood. Yes legendary robustness is the right word to describe c6713 DSK :), it has withstood the test of times with its simplicity and remains popular with universities. The connectors allow several add on boards and bread boarding - something I cannot claim for c6748 LCDK even though customers have used it for applications similar to what you are describing. It used to be one of our best selling boards. 

I hope you are able to make progress with the stated limitations. All the best.

Regards

Mukul