MSC8157ETAG1000A - SC3850 Six-Core DSP 1GHz | NXP Semiconductors
MPN: MSC8157ETAG1000A ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $285 | $285.00 |
| 10 | $269.5 | $2,695.00 |
| 100 | $252 | $25,200.00 |
| 500 | $238.75 | $119,375.00 |
| 1,000 | $224.5 | $224,500.00 |
MSC8157ETAG1000A Overview
A DSP (digital signal processor) is a specialized microprocessor whose datapath, register file, and instruction set are tuned for numeric-heavy loops typical of baseband, audio, video, and radar processing. Within the processor taxonomy, the MSC8157 sits below application processors and above general-purpose microcontrollers in terms of arithmetic throughput per watt. It belongs to the power-managed multicore DSP sub-category, which uses per-core clock gating, voltage scaling, and hardware accelerators to deliver high MMACS throughput while keeping board-level power dissipation manageable in dense line cards.
Key differentiating features include six SC3850 DSP cores at 1 GHz each, an integrated MAPLE-B (Multi-Accelerator Platform Engine for Baseband) coprocessor for turbo/Viterbi acceleration on LTE and WiMAX paths, dual DDR2/DDR3 memory controllers with ECC, four-lane serial RapidIO, two Gigabit Ethernet MACs (SGMII), and PCI Express Gen 2. The 783-ball FCBGA (29x29 mm) provides the thermal and routing density required for the device's aggregate bandwidth.
Architecturally, the MSC8157ETAG1000A pairs the SC3850 DSP cluster with a shared Level-3 memory subsystem and coherent DMA fabric. Each SC3850 core delivers up to 4000 MMACS at 16-bit fixed point or 2000 MMACS at 32-bit, and the platform targets > 24 GMACS aggregate throughput, sufficient to run a single-sector LTE baseband plus margin for adjacent compute.
Typical applications include LTE and WiMAX baseband processing, 3G/4G channel cards, multi-standard radio network controllers, test and measurement platforms, and military/aerospace signal-intelligence front ends. The -40 to -105 °C operating temperature range supports both controlled-environment base stations and harsher industrial enclosures.
When designing with this device, allocate at least four PCB layers for the FCBGA break-out and provide a continuous thermal copper pour beneath the package to meet the FCBGA's junction-to-ambient thermal envelope. The SC3850 cluster should boot via the integrated boot ROM with an attached NOR/NAND flash and DDR initialized by the DDR controllers, so power-rail sequencing (1.0 V core, 1.5 V DDR, 3.3 V I/O) must follow the manufacturer's power-up order to avoid latch-up.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in NXP same-family alternatives, and practical board-level guidance not found in the standalone manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for MSC8157ETAG1000A — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with MSC8157ETAG1000A (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Mounting Type.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
MSC8157ESAG1000A
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSC8157TAG1000A
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$178 / Unit
View Datasheet →MSC8156ETAG1000A
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSC8157ETAG1000A Specifications
| Manufacturer | NXP Semiconductors (formerly Freescale) |
| Series | StarCore MSC815x |
| Core Architecture | SC3850 (six-core) |
| Number of Cores | 6 |
| Core Clock Frequency | 1 GHz |
| Aggregate Throughput | >24 GMACS (16-bit fixed point) |
| Per-Core MMACS | 4000 MMACS @ 16-bit, 2000 MMACS @ 32-bit |
| Accelerator Engine | MAPLE-B baseband coprocessor (Turbo/Viterbi) |
| Memory Controllers | Dual DDR2/DDR3 with ECC |
| High-Speed I/O | 4x Serial RapidIO, 2x GbE SGMII, PCIe Gen 2 |
| Package | 783-FCBGA (29x29 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (BGA) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +105C |
| Supply Voltages | 1.0 V core, 1.5 V DDR, 3.3 V I/O |
| MSL Level | 4 (per JEDEC J-STD-020 for large FCBGA) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant |
| Lead-Free | Yes |
MSC8157ETAG1000A 783-fcbga (29x29 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for MSC8157ETAG1000A (783-fcbga (29x29 mm) package). Pin numbering, functions, and connection diagrams are defined in the manufacturer datasheet. Refer to it for the exact footprint and soldering guidelines.
No detailed pinout data available for MSC8157ETAG1000A.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
MSC8157ETAG1000A is suitable for 6 applications: LTE Baseband Channel Card, WiMAX Base Station Line Card, Multi-Standard Radio Network Controller, Test & Measurement DSP Platform, Military / Aerospace Signal Intelligence Front End, Industrial Multi-Channel Audio/Video Processing.
LTE Baseband Channel Card
The MSC8157ETAG1000A fits an LTE channel card because its six SC3850 cores at 1 GHz deliver more than 24 GMACS aggregate, which is sufficient to terminate one LTE sector with margin for PHY, MAC and HARQ feedback. The MAPLE-B Turbo/Viterbi accelerator offloads FEC, freeing cores for FFT, channel estimation and MIMO decoding. Dual DDR2/DDR3 controllers with ECC sustain the memory bandwidth demanded by 20 MHz antenna carriers. Power sequencing of the 1.0 V core, 1.5 V DDR and 3.3 V I/O rails per the reference manual is required to avoid latch-up during boot.
Recommended
WiMAX Base Station Line Card
The MSC8157ETAG1000A suits a WiMAX line card thanks to the same six-core SC3850 DSP cluster, MAPLE-B Turbo/Viterbi engine and dual GbE SGMII MACs used for backhaul to the radio network controller. The 4-lane Serial RapidIO fabric links adjacent baseband cards for cooperative MIMO while keeping inter-card latency low. The -40 to +105 °C junction envelope matches outdoor/remote-radio-head thermal budgets without derating. Board designers must allocate a thermal copper pour beneath the 783-FCBGA to keep theta-JA within margin at full six-core load.
Recommended
Multi-Standard Radio Network Controller
The MSC8157ETAG1000A can act as the processing heart of a multi-standard radio network controller, running 3G and 4G PHY stacks concurrently thanks to its high aggregate MMACS budget. The PCIe Gen 2 endpoint lets the DSP cluster pair with a host SoC for control-plane and management tasks while keeping the real-time DSP plane local. Serial RapidIO supports low-latency fabric to neighboring DSP cards. Designers should plan FCBGA break-out on at least four PCB layers plus a continuous thermal copper pad under the package.
Recommended
Test & Measurement DSP Platform
The MSC8157ETAG1000A fits a test-and-measurement platform where vector signal analysis, arbitrary waveform generation and protocol conformance require dense real-time DSP. The SC3850 cores run custom FFT, channel-emulator and demodulator code, while the GbE SGMII MACs stream sample data to a host PC at line rate. The 783-FCBGA's JTAG and COP debug ports simplify trace and bring-up with the StarCore development tool-chain. The FCBGA's thermal envelope is the main board-level constraint; designers should use a multi-layer PCB with dedicated ground/power planes.
Recommended
Military / Aerospace Signal Intelligence Front End
The MSC8157ETAG1000A is suited to defense signal-intelligence front-ends thanks to its -40 to +105 °C operating envelope and high aggregate DSP throughput. The SC3850 cluster runs energy-detection, demodulation and direction-finding algorithms in real time, while the MAPLE-B accelerator handles FEC on intercepted streams. The 783-FCBGA package offers the routing density required for compact SWaP-constrained enclosures, but requires controlled-impedance layout and JTAG access for environmental screening. Power-rail sequencing must follow the datasheet to ensure deterministic boot in ruggedized deployments.
Recommended
Industrial Multi-Channel Audio/Video Processing
The MSC8157ETAG1000A handles industrial multi-channel audio/video processing because each SC3850 core provides enough headroom for FIR/IIR filter banks, beamforming and codec acceleration, while the MAPLE-B engine accelerates convolutional/IFR codec paths. The DDR2/DDR3 controllers sustain the bandwidth needed for synchronized multi-channel capture, and the GbE SGMII MACs stream processed streams to network recorders. The 1.0 V core / 1.5 V DDR / 3.3 V I/O power map simplifies integration with industrial 24 V bus supplies via a 3-stage buck/linear regulator chain. Designers should respect the FCBGA MSL-4 handling window during board assembly.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MSC8157ETAG1000A — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MSC8157ESAG1000A | MSC8157TAG1000A | MSC8156ETAG1000A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors |
| Package | 783-FCBGA (29x29) | 783-FCBGA (29x29) - same | 783-FCBGA (29x29) - same | 783-FCBGA (29x29) - same |
| DSP Cores | 6 x SC3850 | 6 x SC3850 | 6 x SC3850 | 4 x SC3850 (-33%) |
| Core Clock | 1 GHz | 1 GHz | 1 GHz | 1 GHz |
| Accelerator | MAPLE-B (Turbo/Viterbi) | MAPLE-B | MAPLE-B | MAPLE-B |
| Memory Controllers | Dual DDR2/DDR3 with ECC | Dual DDR2/DDR3 with ECC | Dual DDR2/DDR3 with ECC | Dual DDR2/DDR3 with ECC |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to +105C | -40C to +105C | 0C to +105C (commercial) | -40C to +105C |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
Key Differentiators
- Six SC3850 cores versus four on the MSC8156 sibling (vs MSC8156ETAG1000A)
- Identical silicon to MSC8157ESAG1000A with tape-and-reel packing (vs MSC8157ESAG1000A)
- Extended -40 to +105 °C operating temperature (vs MSC8157TAG1000A)
Design Notes
The 783-FCBGA (29x29 mm) footprint requires at least four PCB routing layers plus dedicated ground and power planes to break out the high-density BGA ball field without exceeding manufacturability rules. A continuous thermal copper pour directly beneath the package, stitched to the inner ground plane with a 1.0 mm via array, is required to keep the junction temperature within the -40 to +105 °C envelope at full six-core load. Estimated: assuming a 0.5 oz copper pour and four signal layers, theta-JA is approximately 8-10 C/W. Designers should follow NXP's FCBGA PCB design application note for via-in-pad and microvia rules.
The MSC8157ETAG1000A requires three rails - 1.0 V core, 1.5 V DDR, and 3.3 V I/O - that must power up in the sequence specified in the reference manual to avoid latch-up and bus contention. Use a power management IC with programmable sequencing or a supervisory sequencer; estimate that the core rail can source 6-8 A under peak compute load, so the 1.0 V regulator should be sized for at least 10 A with thermal margin. Add bulk decoupling (e.g., 22 uF polymer) on each rail as close to the FCBGA balls as the breakout allows.
Estimated power dissipation at full six-core SC3850 1 GHz load is in the 8-12 W range, which the 783-FCBGA can dissipate only when paired with a thermal copper pour and adequate airflow. Compute theta-JA = (T_junction_max - T_ambient_max) / P_dissipation; for the 105 °C junction limit at 55 °C ambient, theta-JA must stay below approximately 4-6 C/W. Add a heatsink or forced-air cooling if the board is sealed. Always verify with a thermal probe during bring-up rather than relying on datasheet calculations.
Two recurring mistakes are (1) ignoring the FCBGA MSL-4 floor-life specification and baking the parts for the time specified in JEDEC J-STD-033 before assembly, and (2) failing to initialize DDR2/3 with the correct ZQ calibration sequence, which causes intermittent memory errors under load. Engineers should also confirm that the SerDes reference clock is within ±50 ppm of the device's specification, since a marginal reference clock degrades RapidIO and SGMII link margin. Verify boot mode strap pins before first power-up to avoid an unbootable device.
Compliance Information
RoHS and REACH compliance per NXP product declarations. AEC-Q100 not applicable - this is an industrial/telecom DSP, not an automotive-grade part.
