DRA821U4TGBALM

Overview

The DRA821U4TGBALMR is a System-on-Chip processor from Texas Instruments' Jacinto 7 family, built on 16-nm FinFET technology. It integrates a dual-core Arm Cortex-A72 subsystem operating at up to 2.0 GHz and four Arm Cortex-R5F microcontrollers running at up to 1.0 GHz. The device features an integrated Ethernet TSN/AVB switch supporting up to four external ports, including one capable of 5Gb or 10Gb speeds. Memory resources include 1MB of shared L3 RAM with ECC and support for LPDDR4 memory interfaces up to 3200 MT/s. The component is housed in a 433-ball FCBGA package measuring 17.2 mm x 17.2 mm.

Feature Summary

• Dual 64-bit Arm Cortex-A72 cores at 2.0 GHz with 1MB shared L2 cache
• Four Arm Cortex-R5F MCUs at 1.0 GHz with optional lockstep operation
• Integrated Ethernet switch with TSN/AVB support for up to four ports
• 1MB on-chip L3 RAM with ECC and coherency support

Applications

• Automotive gateway systems
• Vehicle compute platforms
• Body control modules
• Telematics control units
• V2X/V2V communication systems

Procurement Notes

Verify the specific suffix 'TGBALMR' against the manufacturer's official nomenclature guide to confirm exact speed grade, safety qualification status, and security feature availability. Ensure that the required functional safety ratings (ASIL-D/SIL-3) and security options are present in the ordered variant, as these attributes are not universal across all DRA821U part numbers.

Selection Notes

Select this model for applications requiring high-performance computing combined with real-time control and deterministic networking. The DRA821U4 variant provides four Ethernet ports compared to two in the U2 version. Designers must account for the shared SerDes lanes between PCIe, USB 3.1, and SGMII interfaces when configuring high-speed connectivity requirements.

Part Context

This component belongs to the Texas Instruments Jacinto 7 processor family, designed specifically for automotive and industrial gateway applications. It serves as a high-end SoC within the lineup, offering extensive integration of compute, safety, and connectivity blocks to reduce system-level complexity and cost for cloud-connected devices.

Replacement Considerations

The DRA821U2 variants share the same core architecture but offer fewer Ethernet ports. Software development kits such as Processor SDK RTOS, Linux, or QNX are required for deployment. Evaluation can be performed using the J700XSOMXEVM paired with the J721EXCP01EVM Common Processor Board.