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Dear Reader,
welcome to the July/June 2005 edition of MicroController
Pros Corporation's Embedded News Digest, your source for microcontroller and
embedded system news.
-
New product
additions at the MicroControllerShop:
ARM: New
development board for the
Philips LPC2000 family. Exchangeable daughterboard's allow you to work
with LPC2129, LPC2132 or LPC2292. ARM-JTAG debugger and software included.
Chip-Programmers:
uCPros is now also official distributor for Needhams chip programmers,
increasing the number of universal programmers to chose from to
13 different models for every need and budget.
Microchip:
New
PIC Training & Development Board with USB interface. The ideal companion
board for our PIC CD-ROM based self-study programming courses in C, Assembler
and flowchart programming.
- Please help us to spread the word about this free
microcontroller news source.
Let your friends, colleagues or customers know about the Embedded News Digest.
This month's issue:
ARM Demonstrates First ARM11 MPCore Processor
ARM recently demonstrated the first test chip of its ARM11 MPCore synthesizable
processor, which produced performance equivalent to a 1.2 GHz ARM11 family
processor with power consumption of approximately 600 mW while delivering 1440
DMIPS of aggregate performance.
The test chip, which comprises four processors running with cache coherence, was
constructed using a generic 130 nm technology with no process optimizations for
performance or power, and achieved this high performance and scalability with
existing applications developed for non-multiprocessing system technology. It
features a full Linux SMP OS port and applications, and shows an automatic
balancing of application loads among processors with overall reduction of
consumed energy.
ARM11 MPCore processors will implement the standard ARM11 microarchitecture, and
have the ability to be configured to contain between one and four processors
delivering up to an aggregate 2600 Dhrystone MIPS of performance. They will
provide enhanced memory throughput of 1.3Gbytes/sec from a single CPU, making
them a solution that delivers greater performance at lower frequencies than
comparable single-processor designs, while maintaining full compatibility with
existing EDA tools and flows.
The ARM11 MPCore test chip demonstration platform is available now to ARM
Partners for evaluation and solution development.
Microchip Technology has announced that new 4x4 mm QFN
package options will be available soon for the most popular 8-, 14- and 20-pin
Mid-Range (x14 Architecture) PIC microcontrollers. These QFN packages are 50 to
70 percent smaller than SOIC or SSOP packages, allowing engineers the ability to
squeeze their applications into considerably smaller spaces.
Initially, a total of 14 PIC microcontrollers will be offered in the new 8-, 14-
and 20-pin 4x4 mm QFN package options. The exact part list has not yet been
announced.
Microchip Technology announced the first two
Baseline 8-bit Flash PIC microcontrollers with up to two comparators and an
8-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in 8- and 14-pin packages.
Through the integration of analog functionality, combined with a faster internal
oscillator (8 MHz), the PIC12F510 (8-pin) and PIC16F506 (14-pin) provide a
cost-effective option for many design engineers to replace discrete components
with digital intelligence and reprogrammability.
Other significant features of the PIC12F510 and PIC16F506 include 1024
instructions of Flash program memory, 38 to 67 bytes of data RAM, 8-bit timer,
Watchdog timer, and In-Circuit Serial Programming support.
Both devices are available today for sampling, with volume production planned
for late 2005. The PIC12F510 will come in 8-pin PDIP, MSOP and SOIC packages at
$0.81 each in 10,000-unit quantities. The PIC16F506 will come in 14-pin PDIP,
SOIC and TSSOP packages at $0.90 each in 10,000-unit quantities.
Microchip has announced the PIC16F639 Flash,
8-bit PIC microcontroller with a 3-channel, transponder analog front end and an
integrated KEELOQ cryptographic peripheral. The combination of this new
transponder analog front end, KEELOQ peripheral and low power consumption
provides a total solution for passive-keyless-entry (PKE) and other wireless
authentication applications.
The three-channel transponder analog front end provides bi-directional LF
communication, commonly used in PKE and RFID applications. KEELOQ technology is
based on a proprietary, non-linear encryption algorithm that creates a unique
transmission on every use, rendering code capture and resend schemes useless.
Additional key features of the PIC16F639 microcontroller include a precision 8
MHz internal oscillator with software clock switching, up to 3.5 Kbytes of Flash
program memory, 128 bytes of RAM, 256 bytes of EEPROM, two analog comparators,
one 8-bit timer, one 16-bit timer, and an Enhanced Watchdog Timer.
The LF analog front end features include three channels for omni-directional 125
kHz wireless communication, 3 mV input sensitivity, programmable antenna
tuning, and batteryless operation.
The PIC16F639 is available today for sampling in a 20-pin SSOP package, and
volume production is expected later this year. In 10,000-unit quantities, the
PIC16F639 is $2.18 each.
Microchip's new PIC16F685, PIC16F687,
PIC16F689 and PIC16F690 20-pin microcontrollers offer a cost-effective and
code-compatible migration path from existing 8- and 14-pin package options,
while including a richer set of peripherals.
These enhancements include a new comparator module with more internal and
external connections, and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with up to 12
channels. Additionally, the onboard I2C synchronous serial port has address
masking to support multiple addresses. The enhanced capture/compare/PWM module
incorporates PWM steering, allowing output to multiple pins under software
control - a feature that provides greater layout flexibility for motor control
and power supply applications. Another significant feature is the
software-enabled Brownout Reset, which enables designers to significantly reduce
standby current consumption in sleep.
Additional key features include the capability to support the PMBus protocol, an
8 MHz software-selectable internal oscillator, a LIN-capable EUSART, two
comparators with set-reset latch mode, and a 12-channel, 10-bit ADC.
All four PIC microcontrollers are available now for sampling and volume
production in 20-pin PDIP, SOIC, SSOP and QFN packages. Prices start at $1.78
each in 10,000-unit quantities.
Microchip announced two new members of the
world's smallest microcontroller family -- the PIC10F220 and PIC10F222 --
combining the new option of an on-board 8-bit ADC with an 8-bit Flash PIC
microcontroller in a 6-pin SOT-23 package.
PIC10F series microcontrollers are about the size of a surface-mount transistor,
executing 2 million instructions per second. Standard features of the PIC10F
microcontroller family include a precision internal oscillator operating at up
to 8 MHz with 33 instructions and two stack levels, 1.125 ms DRT, 256 to 512
instructions of Flash program memory, 16 to 23 bytes of data RAM, one 8-bit
timer and one watchdog timer, and In-Circuit Serial Programming capability.
The PIC10F220 and PIC10F222 are offered in 6-pin SOT-23 packages. Limited
sampling is available today, and volume production for both microcontrollers is
expected by Q4 2005. In 10,000-unit quantities, the PIC10F220 is $0.65 each and
the PIC10F222 is $0.74 each.
Micronas has expanded its CDC 32xxG family of
controllers with the CDC 3217G and CDC 3257G MCUs. Both chips feature the Device
Lock Module, which prevents unauthorized Flash access. Like all members of the
family, the new chips integrate the 32-bit ARM7TDMI RISC processor core.
The CDC 3217G expands the high end of the family, with 1 MB of Flash and 32 KB
of RAM on chip, plus four CAN Bus controllers. The CDC 3257G extends 32-bit
power to lower-cost applications, with 256 KB of Flash, 12 KB of RAM, and two
CAN Bus controllers. Both chips include a wide range of other peripherals,
including multifunction ports, a special function ROM and a sound generator.
Additionally, there are two UARTs, two SPI, two I2C and up to 102 pins of
general purpose I/O.
The CAN Bus controllers in each MCU support all 32 message objects with 512
bytes of dedicated RAM each, and are compliant to the Bosch V2.0B
specifications. In an automotive application, the existence of four CAN Bus
controllers on chip enables the dashboard controller to work as a gateway
controller. Gateways typically process data to and from the engine controller,
the radio/multimedia unit and the ABS module. Both devices feature a dedicated
module to display information on an LCD panel up to 192 segments (48 x 4)
without any additional hardware. The chips operate from a single 5V power supply
and can work down to 3.5V, fulfilling the special requirements of automotive
manufacturers. They are specified for a temperature range between -40° and +105°
C.
The entire Micronas family of automotive microcontrollers features LEAP
technology - the Low Emissions Automotive Processor. This technology reduces
EMI, resulting in substantial cost savings in the finished design.
Both devices are offered in a 128-pin PQFP and are sampling now. The CDC 3257G
is ramping to production now; the CDC 3217G will ramp up later this year.
Renesas Technology Corp. has announced the
H8SX/1544F and H8SX/1543F 32-bit CISC microcontrollers with a 40 MHz maximum
operating frequency, embedded with a CAN controller and 512 or 384 Kbytes Flash
memory.
The Flash memory in these new microcontrollers features single-cycle access, and
they achieve a processing performance of 40 MIPS. Their CPU core instruction set
is upward-compatible with the current H8S family of 16-bit microcontrollers,
allowing existing programs to be run with an approximate 20 percent increase in
ROM code efficiency.
The H8SX/1544F and H8SX/1543F include peripheral functions suited for automotive
control systems. The enhanced 2-channel CAN 2.0B compliant controller has
functional improvements such as filtering functions. Other peripheral functions
include a Serial Communication Interface, Synchronous Serial Communication Unit
(SSU), a 16-bit general-purpose timer, an external bus extension function
allowing high-speed access to an external device, a stepping motor timer and
driver capable of driving up to six stepping motors, a 4-channel sound generator
module, a 4-channel DMA controller, 2-channel I2C bus interface, six 16-bit
general-purpose timer channels, and twelve 16-bit PWM timer channels.
As well as the reduced amount of Flash memory, the H8SX/1543F has 16 Kbytes of
RAM compared to 24 Kbytes on the H8SX/1544F.
Sample shipments of the 144-pin LQFP H8SX/1544F have begun in Japan, priced at
„1700.
Sensory Debuts
Ultra-Compact Voice Recognition Module
Sensory has released the VR Stamp module, providing easy integration of voice
recognition into consumer, industrial, automotive and medical electronics. The
VR Stamp module includes a fully functional system based on Sensory's new
RSC-4128 mixed signal processor, a powerful 8-bit microcontroller inside a voice
recognition system on chip (including 16-bit ADC, DAC, digital filtering, RAM,
ROM, output amplification, timers, comparators and more). In addition, flash
memory, serial EEPROM, main clock and real-time clock crystals, along with power
noise management components, are all packed into a standard 40-pin DIP
footprint.
The VR Stamp can act as a speech recognition slave, or be the primary host
controller of the end product along with providing the speech recognition
features. Sensory's FluentChip software is included and provides high-accuracy
speech recognition, speaker verification, speech compression and output, music
synthesis, as well as diagnostic and utility programs. The VR Stamp modules sell
for under $30 in volume, and can handle multi-level menus of speech recognition
command sets and speech synthesis prompts.
Silicon Laboratories has announced the
availability of an Embedded Modem Development Kit that simplifies the
development of embedded modem applications. The development kit provides all of
the hardware and software to create an application with embedded modem
connectivity. It is based on the C8051F120 8-bit, 100 MIPS microcontroller, and
the Si2457 ISOmodem two-chip 56 Kbps globally programmable embedded modem.
The C8051F120 includes a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter, two 12-bit
digital-to-analog converters, 128 kB Flash, an internal voltage reference and
programmable throughput up to 100 ksps. The Si2457 ISOmodem product is complete
with a UART interface, integrated ROM, RAM, digital signal processor and AT
command support. The integration and mixed-signal performance offered by the
C8051F120 and ISOmodem together make the Embedded Modem Development Kit ideal
for designs such as remote management and monitoring applications, vending
service calls, dynamic inventory management, security systems and redundant
connectivity data paths.
Equipped with Silicon Laboratories' TCP/IP Configuration Wizard, the Embedded
Modem Development Kit simplifies importing the stack object code by generating
the supporting directory structure and framework code as well as a custom
library that describes the selected protocol configuration. The kit uses the CMX
Micronet protocol stack, and includes Silicon Laboratories' own IDE, allowing
the designer to expedite embedded modem designs by illustrating each of the
steps to create an application.
The Embedded Modem Development Kit includes a C8051F120-TB, an AB3 Modem Adapter
board and an Si2457FT18-EVB modem board. It is available now from Silicon
Laboratories for $199.
STMicroelectronics has completed successful
fabrication of the first of a family of configurable System-on-Chip ICs that
addresses a variety of applications, including digital engines for printers,
scanners and other embedded control applications.
Based upon ST's Structured Processor Enhanced Architecture (SPEAr), the device
integrates an ARM core with a full set of Intellectual Property blocks and a
configurable logic block that allows very fast customization of critical
functions in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost required by a
full custom design approach, but with a comparable level of flexibility and
performance.
The family is based on industry-standard ARM cores that maximize the reuse of
existing hardware and software blocks. The architecture includes a number of
proven IPs for connectivity, memory interfaces, and a high-performance internal
bus system. A customizable embedded-logic block allows quick development of
optimized solutions for specific markets by allowing customers to add their own
proprietary IP to an Application-Specific Standard Product without embarking on
a full ASIC design.
The new device includes: an ARM946ES running at 192 MHz with 8-kbyte of data
cache, instruction cache, data-TCM and instruction-TCM, respectively; three
USB2.0 ports (including both host and device ports); an Ethernet 10/100 MAC; a
16-channel 8-bit A/D converter; an I2C interface; three UARTs; memory
interfaces; and 400-kgate equivalent programmable logic.
Samples of this first member of the family are already available, with pricing
in the range of $13 in volume quantities. Full evaluation boards will be
shipping in September. A special dual-mode development environment has been
implemented to allow ST customers to develop their solution with an external
FPGA, and then verify the solution and map it into the configurable logic inside
the chip, both quickly and easily. Additionally, to provide more flexibility in
the development, ST will also provide a simplified version with the programmable
logic completely removed for any device in the family.
MicroController Pros Corporation (”CPros) is an authorized
distributor for many microcontroller tool vendors, which enables us to offer you
a large selection of Microcontroller Development Tools for almost any major
microcontroller architecture.
Our
MicroControllerShop (http://microcontrollershop.com) puts convenient and
secure online shopping, feature- and price-comparison on your computer's
desktop. Microcontroller Development Tools featured at the
MicroControllerShop
include: Emulators, EPROM programmers, FLASH programmers, microcontroller C-
compilers, assemblers, emulator accessories, pin adapters, pin converters,
microcontroller starter kits and embedded evaluation boards for various
microcontroller architectures and manufacturers.
copyright 2005 by
MicroController Pros Corporation
visit our web
http://www.ucpros.com
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