Product News

 Press Release

02 Oct 2002

ST Introduces µPSD3200 Devices

Geneva: STMicroelectronics today introduced the µPSD3200 family of embedded Flash 8051-based microcontrollers. Based on ST's proprietary Programmable System Device (PSD) architecture, the µPSD3200 family devices feature large dual-bank Flash memories, a large SRAM, Flash-based programmable logic and JTAG in-system programming (ISP). The µPSD3200 further extends ST's existing portfolio of 8-bit Flash/ROM microcontrollers with devices offering high-density Flash and an 8051-compatible core, thus strengthening the company's capabilities to provide solutions for a wide range of applications.

The family's 40MHz 8032 core supports USB and many other on-chip peripherals making these devices a complete solution for a broad variety of embedded control applications. With up to 288-Kbyte of Flash memory and 8-Kbyte of SRAM, ST offers the largest memory densities for an 8051-class MCU available today. A $149 development kit coupled with third-party development tools is everything required to implement and validate a design.

"The 8051 is a timeless architecture that will continue to evolve, as many designers are not willing to give up their investment in 8051 firmware, tools, and expertise. But their need for memory and peripherals expand beyond what the market offers," said Joe Kraus, Marketing Director for Programmable System Devices at STMicroelectronics. "The use of C language, friendlier but bulkier user interfaces, multiple character sets, higher transfer speeds across communication channels, and data recording are factors that continue to drive the density requirements for both Flash and SRAM in 8-bit embedded products. The µPSD family of products will continue to evolve to encompass new requirements."

The flagship device in the family, the µPSD3234A, features dual independent banks of Flash memory (256-Kbyte and 32-Kbyte) capable of concurrent read-write operation, 8-Kbyte of SRAM, and over 3000 gates of programmable logic with 16 macrocells. The 8032 peripheral set includes a USB interface, two UART channels, four 8-bit PWM units, four 8-bit ADC channels, an I2C master-slave interface, a data-display channel (DDC), supervisory functions such as a watchdog timer and low-voltage detect, and up to 50 general-purpose I/O pins. The 80-pin TQFP versions allow connection of the 8032-address/data bus to external parallel peripherals. A 52-pin TQFP version is available without this bus access.

All µPSD3200 devices feature a JTAG interface to program the entire device. "Although there are other ISP solutions available for single-chip MCUs, most accomplish ISP via UART, SPI, or I2C, which are typically slower, and not as flexible or well-suited for manufacturing as JTAG," continued Kraus.

µPSD also supports in-application programming (IAP). Dual banks of Flash memory, and a special control register allow the 8032 controller to run from one Flash bank while erasing and updating the other bank.

Memory mapping is handled by an integrated decoding PLD that can assign any flash or SRAM memory segment to any address on any memory page, or bank. Additionally, Flash memory can be allocated to 8032 code space or data space in almost any proportion as needed, which is a feature unique to µPSD devices.

Designers can use the 16-macrocell PLD to replace external glue logic devices such as 22V10 PLDs, 20L8 PALs, and 74-series discrete logic ICs. Common functions forged from the PLD array include state machines, shifters and counters, keypad and control panel interfaces, chip-selects for external devices, clock dividers, multiplexors and handshake delay circuits.

The µPSD3200 devices are ideally suited for embedded systems that require large amounts of code and/or data storage, such as point-of-sale peripherals: check/card readers, thermal printers, bar code scanners, and vending machine controllers. Other applications are equally supported such as building security, alarm, and access control, industrial control, portable GPS, public phones, and instrumentation.

The devices are shipping now in production volume in 52-pin and 80-pin TQFP packages, with industrial operating temperature at 5.0V and 3.3V.

Further information on these devices is available at www.st.com/micropsd.

Development Tools

ST's software development and programming tool, PSDsoft Express, automatically generates the hardware definition language (HDL) for the PLD logic. Address decoding, paging, segmentation, chip selects, general-purpose logic, and µPSD pin assignments are all made using point-and-click design entry. PSDsoft Express guides the designer through the entire design process step-by-step, making it possible to complete a design in a matter of hours.

PSDsoft Express also generates complete C code firmware examples that run on the 8032 processor, including support for USB and all other µPSD interfaces. Programming can be done with one mouse click using the inexpensive FlashLINK JTAG programming cable, or using a third-party gang programmer. PSDsoft Express is free of charge and can be downloaded from ST's website at www.st.com/psd.

C compilers and firmware development tools from any vendor that supports the standard 8051 architecture may be used for the µPSD. However, the µVision Integrated Development Environment (IDE) from Keil Software Inc directly supports the µPSD, and all C Code examples generated from PSDsoft Express are directly compatible with the Keil PK51 and DK51 tool kits. The PK51 includes an excellent non-intrusive background debugger, ISD51, which uses either of the two UARTs on the µPSD for firmware debugging with breakpoints.

Real-time debugging support comes in the form of a hardware In-Circuit Emulator (ICE) from Nohau Corporation, EMUL-µPSD3200-PC, providing hardware breakpoints, deep tracing, support for memory banking, and many other debugging aides.

About STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics, the world's third largest semiconductor company, is a global leader in developing and delivering semiconductor solutions across the spectrum of microelectronics applications. An unrivalled combination of silicon and system expertise, manufacturing strength, Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and strategic partners positions the Company at the forefront of System-on-Chip (SoC) technology and its products play a key role in enabling today's convergence markets. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2001, the Company's net revenues were $6.36 billion and net earnings were $257.1 million. Further information on ST can be found at http://www.st.com.