Intel pushing Pentium support

Electronic News, Sept 16, 1996 by Jim DeTar

San Jose, Calif.--The Pentium processor is moving into embedded applications faster than expected, according to Intel. Consequently, the company will outline a strategy for supporting the Pentium in the embedded system market this week at the Embedded Systems Conference here.

Over at the RISC camp, Digital Equipment will unleash a version of its StrongARM processor that reaches a claimed 250MIPS perform0ance level, and Motorola will discuss a new version of its 68HCXX architecture, while simultaneously taking the wraps off what it calls a "7-Day CSIC" methodology.

Intel is now saying that Pentium is moving into the embedded market segment earlier than previously expected. "The embedded performance treadmill is moving faster than ever," commented Doug Davis, GM of Intel's Embedded Computing operation. "The application segments utilizing the 80C186, Intel386 and Intel486 processors are still growing. In addition, we're also starting to see a huge influx of sophisticated embedded designs utilizing the high-performance capabilities of the Pentium processor. Utilization of existing PC technology has enabled designers to improve their time-to-market."

Specifically, Intel is working with third-party developers in cooperative support activities such as tools, operating systems and BIOS, according to Mr. Davis. Among the embedded applications designers are starting to use Pentiums for use in Internet appliance applications, he noted.

A partial list of third-party tools vendors pledging support for embedded Pentium systems includes: Accelerated Technology, Annabooks, DDC-I, Embedded System Products, International Test Technologies, MetaWare, Microtec, Rational Software, SystemSoft and Wind River Systems. In addition to its Pentium processors and supporting chipsets, Intel said it will continue to support its Intel386 EX and Intel486 GX processors for embedded applications.

In addition to the Pentium strategy, Intel will unveil a 16-bit addition to its MCS microcontroller line. The 80296SA is the first MCU based on the MCS 296 architecture and will integrate digital signal processing (DSP) capability.

The 80296SA MCU can operate at up to 50MHz and, at that speed, can execute a single instruction in 40 nanoseconds, providing a 5x increase in performance over the company's earlier 20MHz 8xC196KC MCU, Intel said. The device features 6 megabytes of linear address space, a demultiplexed bus and a chip-select unit. The external bus can dynamically switch between multiplexed and demultiplexed operation.

The 80296SA MCU is sampling in 100-lead quad flat packs with volume production anticipated this month priced at $14.75 for 10,000-unit quantities for the 50MHz version and $12.85 for a 40MHz version.

Meanwhile, Digital will demonstrate two new versions of its StrongARM SA-100 microprocessor that will take StrongARM beyond the 250MIPS performance level. The new versions of the StrongARM SA-110 MPU operate at 233MHz and 166MHz.

In an interview, Doug Carrigan, Digital StrongARM marketing manager, alluded to the company's high-speed Alpha MPU when discussing StrongARM. "What we have to offer the market is CPU design expertise. When it comes to building high-performance processors, there aren't many companies that can do what Digital can do. The 233MHz (StrongARM) part is a first step to bringing more and more performance to embedded applications."

Both the 166- and 233MHz devices are variations of the company's existing 2V, 200MHz StrongARM chip. In addition, Digital also currently offers 100MHz and 160MHz StrongARMs at 1.6V (3V I/O) for power-stingy, battery-operated portable systems.

Prices for the new StrongARM SA-110 MPUs are $49 for the 233MHz version and $42 for the 166MHz chip in 10,000-unit quantities. Samples are currently shipping and volume production is set to begin in December.

Over at Motorola, the aging 68HC05 architecture is getting a facelift. The company said it has shipped a cumulative total 1.75 billion HC05 controllers to date, and continues to ship them at a rate of 1.2 million parts a day.

Motorola's Customer Specified Integrated Circuits (CSIC) division this week will introduce the 68HC08AZ and 68HC98AB 8-bit microcontroller family. The HC08AZ0, which is sampling now, has been developed with Volvo Car Corp. to form the backbone of future CAN-based multiplex systems to be used in planned Volvo cars.

The introduction of the 68HC08AZ family--targeted at automotive body applications--provides OEMs with a migration path, and also marks the debut of what Motorola is calling its "7-Day CSIC" design methodology.

Kevin Kilbane, Motorola strategic marketing manager for the Communications, Consumer and Computing CSIC division, said that when the company started working on the HC08 more than four years ago (EN, May 10, 1993), it wanted to ensure it would be compatible with the existing line. "We wanted to make it code-compatible with the HC05."

However, the company never planned for it to take this long, and "A large percentage of our customers were starting to bump up against the performance envelope for 8-bit microcontrollers." The HC08 family will debut at the 0.8-micron, double-layer-metal level. Mr. Kilbane said other parts currently sampling under Motorola's MCU roadmap will be manufactured on 0.65-micron, enabling higher bus speeds. "We have also added this op-code look-ahead which improved the cycle count per instructions and gave us another 25 percent increase in performance."