MPU peripheral cores roll ( Cast , Inc.)

MPU peripheral cores roll; MoSys picks Japan partner

MPU peripheral cores roll; MoSys picks Japan partner
By Michael Santarini, EE Times
January 8, 2001 (10:47 a.m. EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20010108S0017

Cast Inc. (Woodcliff Lake, N.J.) has added four cores designed for use in systems with 8051 and other popular microprocessors to its lineup of MPU peripheral cores. The company has released the C8237 direct memory access (DMA) controller, the C8254 programmable timer/counter, the C8259AS synchronous programmable interrupt controller and the C8279 programmable keyboard/display interface.

According to Cast, the C8254 programmable timer/counter is very flexible, and can be used as an event counter, elapsed-time indicator or programmable one-shot, or in other applications. Designers can program the core to match their system requirements, the company said, and can set the counter for their desired delay output.

The C8237 DMA core is compatible with the Intel 8237 DMA chip found in most DOS computers. According to Cast, it can be considered a primitive secondary processor that relieves the main processor of much of the burden of I/O handling. The C8237 features three ways to transfer data: I/O to memory, memory to I/O and memory to memory.

The C8259AS synchronous programmable interrupt controller is cascadable and compatible with many popular buses, including the Intel 386EX, the company said. The core is also available in an asynchronous version (Cast C8259A) that matches the original Intel device.

Lastly, the C8279 programmable keyboard/display interface offers replacement compatibility with an Intel device in widespread use. Its keyboard portion provides a scanned interface to a 64-contact key matrix, while its display portion provides a scanned display interface for LED, incandescent and other display technologies, according to Cast.

The new cores are available now, in synthesizable source code or optimized for Altera and Xilinx programmable devices. Cast said the cores have been designed for easy reuse, and verified by comparison with actual devices in a hardware modeler. Cast also offers customization and support se rvices.

For more information visit www.cast-inc.com.

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MoSys Inc. has signed up Spinnaker Systems Inc. (Tokyo) as the Japan representative for the Sunnyvale, Calif., company's 1T-SRAM intellectual property. According to MoSys, market growth in system chips is fueling a strong demand for embedded memories in Japan. In particular, consumer and communications applications are demanding very dense, high-performance memories with low power consumption.

With Spinnaker, MoSys said it has gained one of the most experienced and successful partners for distribution of intellectual property in Japan. Spinnaker Systems provides EDA tools, IP design licenses, system-on-chip design support using ASICs and PLDs as platforms, and has engineering and consulting ability to support system-level integration. The company will provide MoSys 1T-SRAM memory sales and services to Japanese designers, MoSys said.

For further information visit www.spinnaker.co.jp or www.mosys.com.