May 2003 Embedded News Digest
 

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Dear Reader,

welcome to this month's edition of  MicroController Pros Corporation's Embedded News Digest, your source

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This month's issue:

Atmel Introduces Evaluation Kit for LCD AVR Family

Atmel AVR USA Seminars in June

Cygnal: 25MIPS 8051 CPU for $0.99

EM Microelectronic: Low-Power, High Output Drive RISC MCU

Microchip Adds 32k FLASH to High-Pin-Count PIC18 Family

Microchip Demo Board for High-Pin-Count PIC18 Family

Motorola New 8k Flash HC08 Devices

TI breaks the 1GHZ Barrier With DSP


Atmel Introduces Evaluation Kit for LCD AVR Family

The Butterfly Evaluation Kit combines common elements found in a typical system including the Mega169 microcontroller, a piezo element for sound generation, integrated light and temperature sensors, LCD display glass, and a 512k Flash. A single coin-cell battery powers the AVR Butterfly's operation for up to seven years.

The Butterfly is shipped preloaded with demo firmware capable of performing the following embedded applications: Clock and Calendar, Digital Thermometer, Light Intensity Measurement, Digital NameTag, and Jukebox. The demo firmware also utilizes the Mega169 Boot Sector, allowing users to upload their own code into the device without using external programming hardware.

Atmel's AVR Butterfly Evaluation Kit order code is ATAVRBFLY. The suggested retail price is USD $19.99 and it can be purchased from any of Atmel's franchised distributors.


Atmel AVR USA Seminars in June

Atmel will be demonstrating the capabilities of the Mega169 and Butterfly evaluation kit during a one-day seminar held at 15 different locations around the USA during June 2003. Information on Atmel's microcontroller seminars can be retrieved at: http://www.atmel.com/seminar/mcu


Cygnal: 25MIPS 8051 CPU for $0.99

Cygnal Integrated Products, Inc.  announced the C8051F305, a full-featured flash microcontroller priced at $0.99 (suggested resale price in 10,000 piece quantities). The unique features of the C8051F305 include: 25MIPS 8051 CPU, 2K bytes Flash, 256 bytes RAM, UART, SMBus, Analog Comparator and a 3mm x 3mm Micro Lead-Frame Package (MLP). 


EM Microelectronic: Low-Power, High Output Drive RISC MCU

The EM6635's outputs can drive up to 20mA at 3.0V with 500mV dropout voltage. The EM6635 operates from a single 1.2V to 3.6V power supply. Power consumption is a mere 1.5uA in active mode and 0.4uA in stand-by mode, when operating at 32kHz and a supply of 1.55V.

The EM6635 executes 72 basic instructions and its data size is 4-bit wide. Other features include 14 inputs, 15 outputs (up to 9 high current), 4096 x 16 mask ROM, 256 x 4 bit RAM, reset and buzzer outputs, two 8-bit timers, two 4-bit BCD counters, 3-bit event counter, prescaler with 1 Hz resolution, serial port, 18 interrupts, watchdog timer, 3 software-programmable voltage level detectors, and a 255-tone programmable frequency generator as well as a frequency doubler. The product is available in a 40-pin micro lead frame package (MLF2) and in die form to facilitate ultra-high density system packaging.

The EM6635 has a 32kHz crystal external oscillator and an internal 500kHz RC oscillator, depending if the system designer needs high-accuracy or speed. It can also be driven by an external clock at up to 4 MHz.


Microchip Adds 32k FLASH to High-Pin-Count PIC Family

Microchip has expanded its  PIC18F Flash family in 64- and 80-pin TQFP packages to include a 32Kbyte memory device.

The new PIC18F6520 and PIC18F8520 microcontrollers are code-compatible with Microchip's PIC18F452 and PIC18F8720 devices.

The PIC18F6520 and PIC18F8520 feature 32K bytes of Flash memory, 2K bytes of RAM memory and 1024 bytes of high endurance EEPROM data memory. The  peripheral set includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with up to 16 channels x 10-bit resolution, 5 Capture/Compare/PWM modules, up to 10 MIPS performance at 10 MHz, two 8-bit timers, three 16-bit timers and one watch-dog timer (WDT), dual analog comparators and a parallel slave port (PSP). Additional features include an operating voltage range of 2.0-5.5 volts, programmable brown-out detection/reset (PBOR), programmable 16-level Low Voltage Detection module (PLVD), 32 kHz secondary oscillator clock input and a 4x phase lock loop (PLL) for high-frequency oscillators. Serial I/O features include SPI, I2C, and two addressable USART modules.


Microchip Demo Board for High-Pin-Count PIC18 Family

Microchip announced the low-cost PIC18FXX20 64/80L TQFP Demonstration Board. Available today for $49 (U.S.) through distribution, the PIC18FXX20 demonstration board offers digital features that include an RS232 Serial Port, ICD connection, 8 x LED for diagnostic tests, crystal clock circuit (RC option), and reset and user buttons. Analog features include potentiometer input to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) input channel and a sample of Microchip's TC74 temperature sensor. The board is outfitted with a PIC18F8720 Flash microcontroller.


Motorola New 8k Flash HC08 Devices

Motorola announced availability of the  flash-based 68HC908JL8 and 68HC908JK8 microcontrollers. Through their pin-compatibility, the new devices offer a migration path to 8K bytes of flash memory from 4K bytes available on the 68HC908JK3 and 68HC908JL3 devices.

The 68HC908JK8 and 68HC908JL8 include the 8-bit HC08 core, 8 Kbytes of flash memory, two 16-bit timers, 256 bytes RAM, 13-channel 8-bit analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, SCI and operation of 3.3 and 5.0 Volts. In addition,  users can select an external crystal oscillator or an external resistor capacitor (RC) oscillator.

The 68HC908JK8 and 68HC908JL8 are both available now. Pricing, in 10,000 piece quantities ranges from $2.75 (USD) to $3.25 (USD) suggested resale.


TI breaks the 1GHZ Barrier With DSP

In a technology demonstration Texas Instruments (TI) reached the one gigahertz (1 GHz) speed threshold for digital
signal processors (DSPs). This achievement comes just weeks after TI set the world record with a 720 MHz DSP. No other DSP manufacturer has come close to the 1 GHz barrier or even the 720 MHz level, with most operating below 500 MHz. TI is scheduled to sample the 1 GHz DSP in the first half of 2004 using the latest 90 -nanometer process technology. For more information, please visit
www.ti.com/1ghzdspp


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