I recently compared Triad’s new TSX1001 to the Cypress PSoC 5.  Both chips feature configurable analog, configurable logic, and a 32-bit ARM core, so it seemed logical to compare the two.  However, Cypress was kind enough to point out that there are some major differences between the two products that make a straight apples-to-apples comparison difficult.

One big difference between the chips is the time required to get working silicon.  The Triad TSX1001 is basically a quick-turn ASIC—its chips have to go through a final masking step before they become working silicon.  In contrast, the Cypress PSoC 5 can be configured at your desk, just like an FPGA.

The chips’ design flows are also starkly different.  Triad offers a turn-key design flow—you just hand over your analog design and they take care of the implementation.  Cypress has a more hands-on approach, allowing you to implement the analog circuitry yourself.  I can’t comment on the merits of Triad’s approach, but I was very impressed by the Cypress analog design IDE, which uses a simple schematic interface.  It is quite straightforward and easy to use.  Cypress also provides a library of digital and analog blocks that you can drop into the design.  On the digital side, the blocks include SPI, UART, and PWM.  Analog blocks include inverting PGA, non-inverting PGA, mixer, transimpedance amplifier, and sample & hold.

Cypress also pointed out that you can’t directly compare the PSoC 5’s digital logic gate count of with that of the Triad chip.  For one thing, gate counts fail to take into account the PSoC 5’s preconfigured digital blocks, which provide CAN 2.0, I2C, and USB 2.0.  Also, the PSoC’s configurable logic isn’t just a bunch of gates—instead, the logic is comprised of user-defined blocks, where each block contains a tiny 8-bit processor.

The other major difference between the companies is that Triad is a startup, while Cypress is an established player with a range of PSoC products already in production.  In fact, the company has already shot to the #11 MCU supplier on the strength of its first-generation product.  With its latest PSoC3 and PSoC 5, the company has expanded to a series of pin-compatible 8- and 32-bit processors, giving developers a lot of options for their designs.

The bottom line is that Triad and Cypress will undoubtedly compete for some design wins, but the companies have notably different offerings.  I don’t know how much Triad charges for its chips, but I would guess that Triad’s pricing is better for high-volume designs.  Triad’s turn-key design service is also a big plus if you don’t want to get your hands dirty with implementation details.  On the other hand, the Cypress gets you to hardware much faster, it gives you more control over your design, and it offers a bigger selection of hardware.