Product category:
Design and Development Software
News Release from: Metrowerks Europe | Subject: MPC852 evaluation system
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 08 August 2003
Full evaluation kit for latest
PowerQUICC
A new evaluation system includes Motorola's popular MPC852 PowerQUICC I processor containing a PowerPC core for use in a wide range of networking and communications applications.
To help embedded systems developers jumpstart the process of evaluating communications processor features and capabilities, Motorola and Metrowerks are now offering an evaluation system that includes Motorola's popular MPC852 PowerQUICC I processor containing a PowerPC core for use in a wide range of networking and communications applications The MPC852 evaluation system offers a comprehensive platform for both hardware and software engineers to use in evaluating and prototyping MPC852 processor-based designs that closely parallel their final applications
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 8 Mar 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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The comprehensive system from Metrowerks includes a MPC852-based evaluation board, the CodeWarrior Development Studio, ARC International's MQX real-time operating system (RTOS) and RTCS TCP/IP networking stack, and the necessary power supply and cables - all in one kit to help speed the development cycle.
Metrowerks has designed the MPC852 evaluation system to help developers achieve productivity soon after unpacking the system and connecting the board to their host laptop or desktop computer.
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Using the MPC852 board, a software developer can write code on a PC host, download it to the evaluation board, then examine chip performance, develop and debug algorithms, and make fast progress toward an end application.
Firmware, hardware, and production test engineers can all take advantage of the MPC852 evaluation system, adapting it to their own requirements to help reduce development time.
For example, production test engineers can use the board and debugging tools to design and prototype complex production algorithms before custom hardware is prototyped.
"Together Motorola and Metrowerks are committed to helping system designers reduce the cost and complexity of the development process, while accelerating time to market", said Mike Shoemake, PowerQUICC Marketing Manager for Motorola's Networking and Communication Systems Division.
"The MPC852 evaluation system is designed to give designers a head start in the development cycle and to make it fast, easy and cost-efficient to examine the performance and functionality of one of our flagship PowerQUICC I processors".
"The combination of the Metrowerks MPC852 evaluation board and CodeWarrior Development Studio gives developers a productive 'out-of-the-box' environment for writing and testing code", said Calvin Harrison, Netcomm Industry Manager for Metrowerks.
"The evaluation system is so versatile that designers can apply it to a multitude of networking and telecom equipment applications".
The MPC852 evaluation board includes: a 50MHz Motorola MPC852 PowerQUICC I processor containing a PowerPC core; RPX bus with direct access to the MPC852 8xx bus and CPM bus; 16Mbyte SDRAM (expandable to 128Mbyte); 8Mbyte Flash (expandable to 32Mbyte); 10/100Base-T Ethernet; 10Base-T Ethernet; a single RS232 port; PC/104 mechanical form factor (3.6 x 3.8in); a CD-ROM with design, reference and complete documentation; the PlanetCore onboard monitor; and a DPI/BDM run control interface.
The scalable MQX RTOS and RTCS TCP/IP networking stack included in the evaluation system were developed to meet the design requirements of embedded Internet, wireless, networking and telecomms applications.
MQX offers the benefits of a small configurable footprint, fast deterministic performance, support for multiple configurations and easy control of source code.
Tightly integrated with MQX, RTCC's portability, configurablity and high performance delivers a TCP/IP stack designed specifically for embedded networking.
The system also features the Metrowerks CodeWarrior Development Studio, Embedded PowerPC ISA Edition - a powerful, easy-to-use tool designed specifically to enhance software development productivity.
The CodeWarrior integrated development environment (IDE) provides an intuitive graphical user interface, as well as: debugger support for source, assembly and mixed source/assembly debugging; ANSI/ISO C/C++ compliant compiler; hierarchical C++ browser; code navigation system; and RTOS awareness for ARC's MQX.
The evaluation system also comes with schematics in electronic format.
Schematics provide hardware engineers with a detailed design for use in building their own boards.
Motorola's MPC852 PowerQUICC processor offers a cost-effective solution for communications applications ranging from Ethernet routers to wireless LAN equipment.
Like all members of the PowerQUICC I family, the MPC852 features a dual-core architecture.
It contains a 32bit processor PowerPC core for applications programming and a communications processor module (CPM) for communications-specific applications.
Based on a RISC processor, the CPM controls and manages two serial communications controllers (SCCs), one serial management controller (SMC), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), 8Kbyte of dual-port RAM, an interrupt controller, and eight serial DMA channels.
The MPC852T offers a 10/100Base-T Fast Ethernet controller (FEC) with integrated DMA and FIFOs to reduce system overhead.
It also includes a media access control (MAC) function and supports the media independent interface (MII).
The device's system interface unit (SIU) provides memory control functions for a variety of memory types with programmability for wait states, block sizes and bus widths, a PCMCIA controller, and power management features.
Produced in a 0.18-micron process, the MPC852 can operate up to 100MHz with a low-power (1.8V) core.
It is offered in a 256-pin, 23 x 23mm BGA package.
The MPC852 evaluation system is available today from Motorola, Metrowerks and Motorola distributors.
The system's suggested retail price is $495.
The CodeWarrior Development Studio included with the system is an evaluation version, time limited to 30 days from installation.
ARC's MQX RTOS and RTCS TCP/IP networking stack included in the system are execution-limited, evaluation versions.
Fully licensed versions of each software product can be obtained separately through Metrowerks distributors.
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