Embedded Processor Watch

Editor: Cary D. Snyder

Contributors to this issue: Tom Halfhill, Cary Snyder and Mark Long

In This Issue:

• LinkUp Systems Brushes Bluetooth
• Info on the Microprocessor Forum 2000 October 9-13, 2000
• Embedded Tidbits

LinkUp Systems Brushes Bluetooth

ARM-Based L7205 Is Enhanced for Short-Range Wireless Technology

By Tom Halfhill {Posted 8/21/00}

LinkUp Systems is sampling an embedded processor that's "Bluetooth ready"óa pitch that sounds suspiciously like advertising stereo speakers as "digital ready." And indeed, LinkUp's new L7205 stops far short of integrating everything necessary to implement a Bluetooth radio transceiver without using additional components. But LinkUp says the USB interface and souped-up UARTs on the L7205 can nibble a few dollars off the cost of a typical Bluetooth implementation. Bluetooth appears to be the up-and-coming solution for reducing or eliminating the tangles of cables on PCs, peripherals, PDAs, cell phones, and other digital devices (see MDR 6/1/98-08, "Bluetooth Creates Personal Wireless Network"). Adding Bluetooth capability to a product currently requires a module with a radio transceiver, antenna, and ROM for the protocol stack. Someday a complete Bluetooth solution will be integrated on a single CMOS chip. For now, the modules are the only way to go, and their relatively large size (about 1.5 inches square) and high cost ($20ñ$50) make them impractical for many products that could benefit from Bluetooth. Unfortunately, LinkUp's L7205 doesn't change that situation. Instead, it offers two options for attaching a Bluetooth module to an embedded system: fast UARTs or USB. The L7205 is an enhanced version of the L7200, which entered production earlier this year. The two major differences between the chips are that the L7205 has a USB interface and a pair of high-speed UARTs. While the UARTs on the L7200 are limited to the usual 115Kb/s, the L7205's UARTs can handle 920Kb/s. That feature allows embedded-system designers to attach a Bluetooth module to the USB interface or to either UART. Like its predecessor, the L7205 is based on an ARM720T processor core. The L7205 and L7200 are among the few ARM7 designs to include a Piccolo DSP coprocessor (see MPR 11/18/96-04, "ARM Tunes Piccolo for DSP Performance"). The L7205's core frequency is 64MHz at 3.3V or 36MHz at 2.7V. Typical power consumption at 3.3V is 350mW, and performance is 60 Dhrystone 2.1 mips at 64MHz. Hyundai Microelectronics is fabricating the L7205 in a 0.35-micron CMOS process and is packaging the die in a 280-contact FBGA that measures 16mm square. It's pin compatible with the L7200. The L7205 is sampling now and will enter production next month. In 10,000-unit quantities, the price is $24.50, or $3 more than the L7200. (The full version of this article is available online to Microprocessor Report subscribers at http://www.mpronline.com/mpr/h/2000/0821/143401.html).

Microprocessor Forum 2000 October 9-13, 2000 San Jose Fairmont Hotel San Jose, CA

"The microprocessor industryís most important week of the year"

Microprocessor Forum 2000 Program Highlights:

Get breaking details on new chips and architectures from AMD, ARC Cores, ARM Ltd., Centaur Technology, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, IBM, Improv Systems, Intel, LSI Logic, Micron Technology, Motorola, picoTurbo, Samsung, SiByte, STMicroelectronics, Toshiba, Vulcan ASIC Ltd., Xstream Logic, and ZF Linux Devices

Conference Day One - October 10

++ Keynote ++

Dr. Robert Morris - Director, Almaden Research Center, Vice President for Personal Systems and Storage, IBM Corporation

Pervasive Computing: Technology, Crossings, Issues, and Implications

The time is approaching when we'll be freed from the confines of a fixed computing environment and computing will become pervasiveóaround us in our car, home, and office. In this presentation, Dr. Morris will explore the technology thresholds in miniaturization, usability, and portability that are making pervasive computing possible, while addressing the bandwidth, security, and social issues that will have to be overcome before pervasive computing becomes a reality.

Sessions with heavy embedded processor content include:

Conference Session 3 ++ Network Processors ++

Moderator - Linley Gwennap, founder of The Linley Group

- An Application Specific Extension to the MIPS Architecture for Network Processing * Michael Uhler - Director of Architecture, MIPS Technologies

- SB-1250: A High Performance, Power Efficient Chip Multiprocessor (CMP) Targeting Networking Applications * Jim Keller - Corporate Fellow and Chief Architect, SiByte, Inc.

- XStream Logic's Optical Network Processor * Mario Nemirovsky - Founder, CTO, and Chief Architect, XStream Logic Inc.

- Acappella: A Platform for Multi-Channel Voice Processing * Lloyd Palum - Principle Staff Engineer, Improv Systems Inc.

- New Developments in Intel's Internet Exchange Processor Family * Matthew Adiletta - Intel Fellow and Director, Communication Processor Architecture, Intel Corp.

Conference Session 4 ++ Information Appliance Processors ++

- ARM Media Extensions * John Rayfield - Director of Technical Marketing, ARM Ltd.

- New Java Extensions for ARM Cores * Andrew Cummins - Java Program Manager, ARM Ltd.

- A Hyper-Clocked picoTurboô pT-120ô CPU * Hong-Yi Chen - CTO, picoTurbo, Inc.

- A High-Performance, Easy-to-Use 64-Bit Embedded Core * Kevin Daberkow - Manager, MIPS Core Development Team, LSI Logic

- TX79: A MIPS-Compatible Synthesizable Core with Extended Multimedia Instructions * Peter Hsu -Chief Architect, Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.

- ST200: A VLIW Architecture for Media-Oriented Applications * Fred Homewood - VLIW Architecture Manager, STMicroelectronics, and Paolo Faraboschi-Senior Research Scientist, HP Labs

- dCF4/dt: The First Derivatives of the v4 ColdFire Integrated Core * Joe Circello - Chief Architect, Motorola SPS

- SH-5: A First SuperH 64-Bit Core for SoC Design * Karl Wang - Director of Advanced Microprocessor Core Development, Hitachi, and Dominique Henoff, ST50 Program Mgr. of Micro Core Dev. Div, STMicroelectronics

- ARC Tangent-A4: A Configurable Core with Enhanced DSP Features * James Hakewell - Chief Architect, ARC Cores

- Java Execution in Native Mode Using Vulcan ASIC's Moon * Ben Cheese - Joint Managing, Director, Vulcan ASIC Ltdv

+ Six full-day seminars on todayís hottest microprocessor applications: * information appliances * networks * high-performance embedded * multimedia * DSP and digital audio

Now is the time to register -- For more information please visit our web site at http://www.mdronline.com/mpf Or call 1.800.527.0288

Embedded Tidbits

STM Chip Supports Dolby Digital, MP3, and Hard Disk Convergence

STMicroelectronics has introduced a multimedia chip for set-top boxes, called the STi5518, that supports Dolby Digital and MP3 audio decoding. More logic has also been added to the device to enable attachment of hard-disk drives for products that offer such features as the pausing and time-shifting of live TV programs. The STi5518 integrates on a single chip a transport demultiplex block; an ST20 32-bit system CPU; an audio/video MPEG-2 decoder; display and graphics features; a digital video encoder; and system peripherals. It integrates DirecTV and Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) descramblers in the transport demultiplex block, allowing it to be used in both DVB and Digital Satellite System (DSS) set-top box applications. Macrovision copy protection is also included. Other features include direct support for IR transmitter/receivers, plus a modem analog front-end (MAFE) interface, which will allow a software modem to be implemented on the ST20. The STi5518 also interfaces to STM single-chip front-end devices, such as the STV0299 QPSK demodulator, to create an entire satellite-receiver appliance. Housed in a 208-pin PQFP package, the STi5518 is available now for sampling, with volume production set to ramp up in 4Q00. For more information: www.st.com.

ARM Expands Development Tools Portfolio

ARM has expanded its development tools portfolio by introducing the ARM Developer Suite version 1.1 (ADS 1.1) software toolkit and Multi-ICE version 2.0 in-circuit emulator tools. The enhanced Multi-ICE 2.0 product supports the real-time elements of ARM's Trace Debug tools and reportedly downloads debug data at speeds exceeding 120kb/s. Multi-ICE 2.0 also features debugging of very low voltage cores (as low as 1V), along with debug support for multiple ARM cores on a single SOC. ADS 1.1 also supports the ARM966E and ARM946E macrocells and the ARM10 Thumb family of cores, along with debug for Intel's recently announced ARM-core-compliant microarchitecture, which now includes a JTAG interface. Both ADS 1.1 and Multi-ICE 2.0, which are compatible with previous versions of ARM development tools, will be available in October 2000. Pricing for ADS 1.1 is $5,500 per seat; pricing for Multi-ICE 2.0 is $3,500 per seat. For more information: www.arm.com.

Wind River to Optimize VxWorks for Hitachi SuperH

Hitachi has joined Wind River's "Center of Excellence" program to ensure that the latest Wind River products, including the Tornado IDE and VxWorks RTOS, are optimized and available for Hitachi's SuperH family of microprocessors. The jointly funded agreement covers the Hitachi SH-2, SH-3, SH-DSP, SH3-DSP, and SH-4 architectures and the new 64-bit SH-5 (see MPR 10/6/99-04, "Hitachi, ST Extend SuperH to 64 Bits") that is being codeveloped by Hitachi and STMicroelectronics (STM). The agreement also covers STM's ST40 family, which includes the SH-4 CPU core that is embedded into a range of SOC designs. The Center of Excellence program will also include within each organization a team of engineers dedicated to implementing and deploying new products, so that when new microprocessors are introduced, compatible application development software will be available early in a processor's life cycle. The first new product from the joint effort will be a Tornado II release for the SH-2, SH-3, SH-DSP, SH3-DSP, and SH-4. Initial versions of this product will begin beta testing in fall 2000, with the first customer release following in 4Q00. The Center of Excellence will also provide support for the SH-5 processor when it becomes available in Q400. Wind River currently ships Tornado I with support for SuperH series SH-1 through SH-4 processors. For more information: www.windriver.com.

LynuxWorks Rolls Out BlueCat Linux 3.0

LynuxWorks has announced that BlueCat Linux 3.0 now provides processor support for the ARM (including the Thumb extensions), StrongARM, and Hitachi SuperH microprocessor architectures in addition to its support for the Motorola PPC750 and MPC8260 PowerQUICC II CPUs on previously released cards. BlueCat Linux 3.0 offers common Linux APIs, development tools, comprehensive booting options, functionality, tested performance, and stability across the different processors. The open-source LynuxWorks Messenger provides a messaging API and backplane communications technology to further facilitate complex multi-CPU designs. BlueCat Linux also provides tools for creating kernel image and root file system images; a large number of BSPs (board support packages); a flash file system; advanced power management; software RAID; kernel porting guide; and example kernel configurations. Licensed for a single development system, BlueCat Linux is available for US$299. For more information: www.LynuxWorks.com.

Thomson Selects Maverick for RCA e-Book

Thomson Consumer Electronics has selected Cirrus Logic's Maverick EP7212 ARM processor (see MPR 11/15/99-03, "Cirrus Logic Makes Music With ARM") for use in its book-shaped, electronic reading tablet. The 17-ounce RCA e-Book is capable of holding the texts of about 20 book titles simultaneously, and it allows the reader to view text both in daylight and darkness by means of a backlit touch-sensitive LCD that reportedly enhances reading in any lighting situation. According to Cirrus, the Maverick will enable the REB1100 to download multiple-standard (MP3, WMA, AAC) Internet audio files, and a built-in DAC interface will also facilitate future software upgrades. The Maverick's programmable on-chip LCD controller directly drives the REB1100's high-resolution 5.5-inch display, which, the company says, reduces cost and the number of chips required. Cirrus also claims that the e-Book's 40-hour reading-time performance results from the low battery-power requirements of its processor. The RCA e-Book includes a 56K soft modem running on the Maverick's 74MHz RISC processing core; this modem can directly download books and other digitized content from the Internet. The REB1100 also contains Internet-ready audio hardware that Cirrus says will allow the product to download music files from the Internet. For more information: www.cirrus.com.

RadiSys Demos Virtual Router

At the recent Intel Developer Forum (IDF), RadiSys Corp. and Nortel Networks showcased a CompactPCI virtual router based on two boards: the EPC-3201 CompactPCI system controller, which features a Pentium II 266MHz processor and 512K L2 cache, and the EPC-3305 peripheral processor based on a 500MHz Pentium III low-power module (LPM). The virtual router also included a demonstration board with TDM (H.110) capabilities based on the Intel IXP1200 Network Processor and a CompactPCI system platform. All the elements were integrated together with Nortel Networks Open IP Environment, a portable real-time software suite for IP-enabling devices. The RadiSys CompactPCI system platform used in the demonstration incorporated a system controller, an IXP1200 board, and a peripheral processor. The demonstration showed virtual router software running on the IXP board. The control for the router was set up through the peripheral processor in the system, and the system controller performed the initial setup and management of the CompactPCI system. For more information: www.radisys.com.

Opera, AMD Provide Browsers to Embedded Market

Opera Software and AMD have announced an agreement under which the two companies will exchange development tools to create for embedded designers Web-browser applications that will be used in Internet appliances, set-top boxes, Web pads, and similar products. Under the agreement, the two companies plan to combine Opera's browser software with AMD's line of embedded 32-bit processors, including the K6-E, the Elan SC400, and Elan SC520 processors. The agreement permits AMD and Opera to assist each other's respective development efforts and to exchange hardware, software, technical support, and documentation to further those efforts. For more information: www.amd.com.

Synopsys Announces PowerQUICC-II Processor Co-verificationTools

EDA tools developer Synopsys Inc. has announced the availability of its CrossLink 8260 hardware/software co-verification product, which the company says accurately models the complete peripheral set for Motorola's PowerQUICC-II MPC8260 communications processor (see MPR 9/14/98-02, "MPC 8260 Masters Network Control"). According to Synopsys, CrossLink provides coverage of all peripheral behaviors and supports software execution at typical instruction-set simulator speeds of 100,000 to 200,000 instructions per second. These results can be achieved by combining hardware modeling technology for all the peripherals with the Synopsys Eaglei co-verification tool set for the processor core. CrossLink also supports all the debugging features included in Synopsys Eaglei. Synopsys CrossLink is currently available under a perpetual license pricing structure that starts at $24,000. The first available model is for the Motorola MPC8260, with the MPC860 version following in the near future. For more information: www.synopsys.com/products/crosslink/crosslink_ds.pdf.

Tasking Releases TriCore Processor Tool Suite

Tasking has announced the release of TriCore Tool Suite V1.1r2 for system development, using the latest version of the 32-bit TriCore unified processor core (see MPR 11/17/97-03, "Siemens TriCore Revives CISC Techniques") and standard products based on merged MCU/DSP architecture. TriCore Tool Suite provides support for the TC1775 automotive controller and an enhanced TriCore Assembler to support the TriCore V1.3's improved peripheral control processor (PCP2), floating-point unit, and memory- management unit. TriCore Tool Suite includes Tasking's Embedded Development Environment, optimized C and C++/EC++ compilers, and CrossView Pro debugger, along with various code-generation optimizations, support for bit data types, and eased Linker/Locator configuration. Tasking also reports that it has enhanced the analytical capabilities of its CrossView Pro debugger to enable it to work with a cycle-accurate TriCore instruction-set simulator. Available now for Windows 95/98/NT and Sun/Solaris platforms, Tasking TriCore Tool Suite V1.1r2 starts at $3,900 for the C and C++/EC++ compiler tools. For more information: www.tasking.com.

Intrinsyc and MontaVista Form Strategic Alliance

Vancouver-based Intrinsyc Software, Inc., has announced a strategic alliance with MontaVista Software Inc., of Sunnyvale, California, under which the two companies will develop for the Internet appliance market Linux-based embedded systems that will target information/navigation systems, smart phones, and other wireless devices. The agreement combines MontaVista's "Hard Hat" Linux operating system for x86, PowerPC, StrongARM, MIPS, and other microprocessor architectures with related products and services from Intrinsyc, such as its Internet appliance reference platform based on the StrongARM 1110 microprocessor. For more information: www.mvista.com.

IBM Previews Processor-Based Wristwatch Running Linux

IBM researchers have designed a 1.5-ounce wristwatch that can communicate wirelessly with PCs, cell phones, and other wireless-enabled devices. Called a "smart watch," the 56mm-wide device contains a processor running the Linux 2.2 OS along with 8MB of flash memory and another 8MB of dynamic RAM. Through the combined use of a touch-sensitive screen and a roller wheel, the wearer can access condensed email messages, a calendar, an address book, and various to-do list functions, as well as view pager-like messages. Future enhancements to the world's tiniest wearable computer are expected to include a high-resolution screen and applications that will allow the watch to be used as an access device for various Internet-based services. According to IBM, the use of Linux in small pervasive devices like the smart watch will make it relatively easy for students, researchers, and software companies to add their own features and develop unique applications. For now, however, the watch is a technology demonstrator only. IBM has announced no plans to create a product based on the Linux watch.

Mackie Designs Acquires Acuma Labs

Audio equipment manufacturer Mackie Designs Inc. has announced completion of its purchase of Acuma Labs Ltd., a developer of real-time embedded systems for professional audio applications. Based in Victoria, Canada, Acuma Labs specializes in digital-signal processors, microprocessors, digital audio effects, analog and digital software, real-time operating systems, interfaces, and hardware design. For more information: www.mackie.com.