Microprocessors: August 15, 1996
Two members of the Z8 microcontroller family are intended for battery-charger applications in a variety of portable products. Effective 9-bit voltage resolution enables the Z86C83 and Z86C84 to determine the voltage for recharging multiple battery chem-istries, including Li-ion, NiCd, and NiMH. By properly terminating battery recharging, the devices prolong battery life. The 16-MHz Z86C83/84 operates from 3 to 5V and offers a permanent watchdog-timer mask option. The 4-kbyte masked-ROM parts come in 28-pin DIP, SOIC, and PLCC configurations. Prices range from $1.80 to $2.80 (OEM). Zilog, Campbell, CA. (408) 370-8000.
Three low-cost versions of the Z8 microcontroller, including an OTP part, offer a watchdog timer, low-voltage protection circuitry, and power-on reset. Intended for quick pilot production, the Z86E02 OTP controller lets you verify software and hardware functionality before committing to a masked-ROM device. You can quickly convert the Z86E02 to a masked-ROM part to achieve the most competitive pricing. The other controllers are the Z86C02 masked- ROM device and the low-voltage Z86L02. The parts come in 18-pin plastic DIPs. The Z86E02 costs $0.59 (OEM), and the Z86C02 and Z86L02 cost $0.49 (OEM). Zilog, Campbell, CA. (408) 370-8000.
The first members of the DSP56600 core family, the DSP56602 and DSP56603, perform 60 MIPS at 60 MHz and 2.7V, requiring just 0.85 mA/MIPS. Able to meet the low-power needs of the digital-cellular-subscriber market, each DSP enables vocoder and modem functions on a single chip. The core's external bus allows glueless connection to external program SRAM, ROM, and peripherals on a 16-bit address and 24-bit program data bus. The DSP56602 offers 24 kbytes of program ROM, 12 kbytes of data ROM, 4 kbytes of X and Y RAM, and 512 words of program RAM. The DSP56603 provides 16 kbytes of program RAM, 16 kbytes of data RAM, and 3 kbytes of program ROM. Packaging options include 144-pin TQFPs and plastic BGAs. The DSP56602 costs <$20 (50,000). Motorola Microcontroller Technologies Group, Austin, TX. (512) 328-2268.
The PIC16C710 and PIC16C711 8-bit OTP microcontrollers include 8-bit A/D conversion for low-cost applications requiring an 18-pin package. The on-chip, four-channel converter eliminates the need for discrete A/D solutions and offers a data conversion time of 16 msec. The PIC16C711 has 1024 words of EPROM and 68 bytes of RAM, and the PIC16C710 supplies 512 words of EPROM and 36 bytes of RAM. Both microcontrollers have 35 single-word instructions, 200-nsec single-cycle instruction times, and an operating voltage of 3 to 6V. Commercial PDIP versions of the PIC16C710 and PIC16C711 cost $3.16 (1000) and $3.53 (1000), respectively. Microchip Technology Inc, Chandler, AZ. (602) 786-7200.
IBM's sixth-generation µPs deliver higher performance than do the Pentium 150 and Pentium 166, according to independent laboratory tests. The 133-MHz 6x86 P166+, for instance, outperformed the 166-MHz Pentium processor with a Winstone '96 rating of 86.7, compared to Pentium's 82.7. The 6x86 P150+, P133+, and P120+ processors, with respective clock speeds of 120, 110, and 100 MHz, also achieved higher Winstone ratings when matched with respective Pentiums running at 150, 133, and 120 MHz. The vendor's adoption of the P-rating methodology for measuring µP performance, as reflected by the processors' part numbers, lets you compare relative PC performance levels, rather than just µP clock speeds. Prices for the 6x86 family range from $185 to $590 (1000). IBM Microelectronics, Hopewell Junction, NY. (800) 769-3772.