MSC8251TAG1000B - SC3850 1GHz DSP, 783-FCPBGA | NXP
MPN: MSC8251TAG1000B ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $112.4 | $112.40 |
| 10 | $108 | $1,080.00 |
| 100 | $97.5 | $9,750.00 |
| 250 | $92.1 | $23,025.00 |
| 1,000 | $86.75 | $86,750.00 |
MSC8251TAG1000B Overview
An LDO (Low-Dropout) linear regulator... [corrected context] A digital signal processor (DSP) is a specialized microprocessor whose architecture is optimized for the mathematical operations - multiply-accumulate (MAC), FIR filtering, FFTs - that dominate audio, video, radar, and baseband signal chains. DSPs sit within the broader taxonomy: microprocessor -> embedded processor -> DSP -> multimedia/wireless DSP. The MSC8251's SC3850 core uses a very-long-instruction-word (VLIW) and static superscalar pipeline to execute up to four instructions per cycle, sustaining 4 GMACS at 1 GHz while retaining deterministic timing essential for real-time telecom workloads.
Key features include the SC3850 core at 1 GHz, integrated MAPLE-B2 baseband accelerator (multi-accelerator platform engine for turbo/Viterbi/FFT), four SerDes lanes up to 1.25 Gbps supporting SGMII and CPRI, dual RGMII/GMII Ethernet MACs, dual DDR2/DDR3 controllers with 64-bit data width and ECC, and PCI Express 2.0 endpoint with x1/x2/x4 lane widths. The 783-FCBGA package provides a 1.0 mm ball pitch and exposes 4 DDR channels, 4 SerDes, 2 GMII/RGMII, 1 PCIe, and 32 GPIO.
Architecturally, the device leverages heterogeneous acceleration: the SC3850 handles programmable signal processing while MAPLE-B2 offloads channel decoding at multi-hundred-Mbps rates, allowing a single DSP to terminate multiple LTE/3G sectors. The DDR controller supports up to 4 GB of addressable memory with ECC, enabling large buffer pools for multi-carrier radio and high-resolution imaging.
Typical applications include multi-carrier wireless base stations (LTE/UMTS picocell and femtocell), medical imaging systems, aerospace and defense signal intelligence, VoIP media gateways, and high-density transcoding blades. The MSC8251 allows high scalability through pin compatibility with the MSC825x and MSC815x family, enabling reuse across product tiers without PCB rework.
When designing with this device, follow NXP's recommended power-sequencing and thermal guidelines: keep junction temperature below 105 C, allocate adequate copper pour for the 29x29 mm FCBGA, and follow the reference manual's DDR layout rules for 64-bit memory to avoid signal-integrity issues.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, pin-compatible family alternatives (MSC825x and MSC815x variants), and practical design notes drawn from the NXP reference manual - information not consolidated on any single manufacturer page.
Drop-in alternatives for MSC8251TAG1000B — 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 MSC8251TAG1000B (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Memory Controller, Package, Process Technology, Core Architecture, Core Clock Frequency.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
MSC8252TAG1000B
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSC8256TAG1000B
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified✓ In Stock
$210 / Unit
View Datasheet →MSC8156ESAG1000B
✅ Drop-In✓ In Stock
$112 / Unit
View Datasheet →MSC8154ESAG1000B
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSC8254TAG1000B
✅ Drop-In ⚠️ Specs Unverified📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MSC8251TAG1000B Specifications
| Product Type | Digital Signal Processor (DSP) |
| Core | SC3850 StarCore (single core) |
| Core Architecture | VLIW / static superscalar, 32-bit |
| Core Frequency | 1 GHz |
| On-chip Performance | 4 GMACS (peak) |
| Instruction Cache | 32 KB |
| Data Cache | 32 KB |
| Accelerator | MAPLE-B2 (Turbo/Viterbi/FFT baseband engine) |
| Memory Controller | Dual-channel DDR2/DDR3, 64-bit, ECC |
| Serial Interfaces | 4x SerDes up to 1.25 Gbps (SGMII/CPRI) |
| Ethernet MACs | 2x RGMII/GMII |
| PCI Express | PCIe 2.0 endpoint, x1/x2/x4 |
| GPIO | 32 |
| Package | 783-FCBGA (29x29 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) |
| Supply Voltage | 1.0 V core / 1.5 V / 1.8 V / 2.5 V / 3.3 V I/O |
| Process Technology | CMOS |
MSC8251TAG1000B 783-fcbga (29x29 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for MSC8251TAG1000B (783-fcbga (29x29 mm, 1.0 mm pitch) 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 MSC8251TAG1000B.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
MSC8251TAG1000B is suitable for 7 applications: LTE Small-Cell Base Station, Medical Imaging Processing, Radar / SIGINT (Defense), VoIP Media Gateway / Transcoding, Broadcast Video Processing, Industrial Test & Measurement, Speech Recognition Front-End.
LTE Small-Cell Base Station
The MSC8251TAG1000B's combination of a 1 GHz SC3850 core delivering up to 4 GMACS and the integrated MAPLE-B2 baseband accelerator makes it a strong fit for residential and enterprise femtocell/picocell base stations. The accelerator offloads Turbo and Viterbi decoding at hundreds of Mbps, allowing the SC3850 to handle MAC scheduling, RLC/PDCP, and uplink equalization in software. Dual RGMII/GMII Ethernet MACs simplify backhaul connectivity to the EPC, while the four SerDes lanes support CPRI links to a remote radio head. Typical reference designs pair the DSP with a DDR2 or DDR3 SDRAM, a PHY for the radio, and a small FPGA for CPRI framer glue logic.
Recommended
Medical Imaging Processing
The MSC8251's deterministic 32-bit StarCore architecture, 4 GMACS throughput, and large 64-bit DDR3 memory space with ECC support make it suitable for ultrasound beamforming, CT reconstruction back-ends, and MRI gradient control loops. MAPLE-B2 can accelerate FFT-based image reconstruction, and ECC memory protects against soft errors in clinical environments. The 783-FCBGA package provides adequate thermal headroom for fan-cooled medical chassis and supports the long product lifecycles typical of regulated medical equipment.
Recommended
Radar / SIGINT (Defense)
Defense signal-intelligence and radar preprocessing demand real-time FFT chains, pulse compression, and CFAR detection - all of which the MSC8251's SC3850 core handles efficiently, with MAPLE-B2 accelerating channel coding and bulk FFTs. The wide 64-bit DDR2/DDR3 controller with ECC supports the large window buffers required by SAR and EW systems, while the PCIe 2.0 endpoint allows high-bandwidth host coupling. The 783-FCBGA's industrial-grade thermal envelope supports ruggedized enclosures with conductive cooling.
Recommended
VoIP Media Gateway / Transcoding
VoIP media gateways and SBC transcoding blades benefit from the MSC8251's deterministic DSP performance. A single 1 GHz SC3850 can handle hundreds of G.711/G.729/Opus codec transcodes concurrently, and MAPLE-B2 accelerates the echo-canceller and packet-loss-concealment vector operations. Dual Ethernet MACs support redundant network-side and TDM-side interfaces, and the PCIe endpoint allows scaling into multi-blade ATCA or AdvancedMC chassis.
Recommended
Broadcast Video Processing
Broadcast encoders and IPTV head-ends leverage the MSC8251's MAC throughput for H.264/MPEG-2 transcoding and statistical multiplexing. MAPLE-B2 accelerates DCT and motion-vector primitives, while the 64-bit DDR controller sustains the memory bandwidth required for multi-stream SD/HD transcoding. The PCIe 2.0 endpoint enables tight coupling to a host blade server CPU.
Recommended
Industrial Test & Measurement
Automated test equipment and high-speed data-acquisition systems use the MSC8251 for real-time FFT, cross-correlation, and digital filtering. The 4 GMACS throughput sustains simultaneous multi-channel DSP at 100+ MHz effective sample rates, and the MAPLE-B2 baseband engine accelerates Golay/PN correlation and channel decoding for protocol-aware test. The deterministic SC3850 pipeline keeps latency bounded for closed-loop control, while the DDR3 controller with ECC provides memory integrity for long-duration capture tests.
Recommended
Speech Recognition Front-End
Speech recognition front-ends running Viterbi decoding and feature extraction (MFCC, PLP) are accelerated by MAPLE-B2, while the SC3850 core runs acoustic-model evaluation. The 64-bit DDR controller sustains large vocabulary lookups, and the deterministic pipeline keeps end-to-end latency below the 200 ms budgets typical of voice assistants. The 783-FCBGA package allows integration into slim appliance form factors.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MSC8251TAG1000B — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MSC8252TAG1000B | MSC8256TAG1000B | MSC8156ESAG1000B | MSC8154ESAG1000B | MSC8254TAG1000B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | 783-FCBGA (29x29) | 783-FCBGA (29x29) - same | 783-FCBGA (29x29) - same | 783-FCBGA (29x29) - same | 783-FCBGA (29x29) - same | 783-FCBGA (29x29) - same |
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors |
| Core Count | 1 x SC3850 | 2 x SC3850 | 6 x SC3850 | 6 x SC3850 | 4 x SC3850 | 4 x SC3850 |
| Core Frequency | 1 GHz | 1 GHz | 1 GHz | 1 GHz | 1 GHz | 1 GHz |
| Peak Throughput | 4 GMACS | 8 GMACS | 24 GMACS | 24 GMACS | 16 GMACS | 16 GMACS |
| Memory Controller | DDR2/DDR3 64-bit ECC | DDR2/DDR3 64-bit ECC | DDR2/DDR3 64-bit ECC | DDR2/DDR3 64-bit ECC | DDR2/DDR3 64-bit ECC | DDR2/DDR3 64-bit ECC |
| Baseband Accelerator | MAPLE-B2 | MAPLE-B2 | MAPLE-B2 | MAPLE-B | MAPLE-B | MAPLE-B2 |
| Lifecycle Status | EOL (NXP, last-time-buy) | EOL (NXP) | EOL (NXP) | EOL (NXP) | EOL (NXP) | EOL (NXP) |
Key Differentiators
- Integrated MAPLE-B2 baseband accelerator at 1 GHz single core (vs TI TMS320C6678)
- Pin compatibility across MSC825x and MSC815x families (vs TI C6000 fixed-config DSPs)
- Dual Ethernet MACs and PCIe 2.0 endpoint integrated (vs TI C6670 with single EMAC)
Design Notes
Estimated: at 1 GHz core clock the MSC8251's worst-case power dissipation is approximately 8-10 W with all SerDes, DDR, and PCIe active. Using NXP's theta_JA of approximately 12 C/W (still-air, 8-layer JEDEC board), junction-to-ambient rise is roughly 100 C - place the device inside an air-cooled chassis with at least 200 LFM airflow and use thermal vias under the die flag. For sealed enclosures, attach a small clip-on heatsink or copper spreader to keep Tj under 105 C.
Per the NXP reference manual, route all four DDR byte lanes with matched length within 25 mils and maintain 50 ohm single-ended impedance. Use 100 ohm differential for SerDes pairs, length-match within 5 mils, and avoid splitting planes under the FCBGA. Place decoupling as close as possible to every power ball: 0.1 uF X7R per pin and bulk 10-22 uF per supply rail.
Do not boot the MSC8251 from a single 1.0 V rail - the core, DDR PHY, SerDes, and I/O require sequenced ramp-up per NXP's power sequence diagram; missing sequencing risks latch-up. MAPLE-B2 firmware must be loaded via the SC3850 core before any Turbo/Viterbi operation, and the JTAG TRST pin must be held low during power-up to avoid debug-state lockup.
DDR3 at 800 MT/s with all four byte lanes active pushes the controller to its limit - simulate with IBIS-AMI models provided in the NXP design kit and tune the write leveling, gate training, and read centering per byte lane. Keep VREF noise below +/-2% and isolate DDR clocks from SerDes to avoid injection-lock issues on the CPRI/SGMII PLLs.
Compliance Information
Lead-free / Pb-free BGA balls confirmed by Freescale/NXP datasheet revisions. RoHS, REACH, halogen-free, and conflict-minerals compliance must be confirmed against the specific lot via certificate of conformance (C of C) requested from authorized distributors such as Rochester Electronics or NXP directly. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - this is an industrial/commercial DSP, not an automotive part.
