CAST Releases C68MX03 Microcontroller Core

IP News

January 31, 2000, DesignCon 2000, Santa Clara, California -- Electronic intellectual property (IP) provider CAST, Inc. today announced the immediate availability of a new synthesizable core, the C68MX03 Microcontroller .

The C68MX03 meets or exceeds the functional and performance specifications of the Motorola 6803 microcontroller/microprocessor, long a popular choice for embedded systems applications. Designed and licensed by Italian development partner Moxsyn s.r.l (www.moxsyn.com), the C68MX03 core satisfies the requests of CAST customers who need to update systems that originally used the now-obsolete Motorola part.

"The proven functionality of this processor is now available in a flexible, reliable, cost-effective form," said Newton Abdalla, CAST’s vice president for IP. "One customer is already using it to redesign an automotive diagnostics tool; others expect to consolidate older products with multiple separate devices into a single, more-economical ASIC."

The new core -- and the complete CAST product line -- will be demonstrated at the company’s DesignCon 2000 booth (#118).

About the C68MX03 Microcontroller Core

The new core is based on the Motorola M6803U4 microcontroller. It executes all M6800 and M6801 instructions, plus the additional 16 opcodes of the M6803U4. It features

• Bus compatibility with the M6800 family.
• A fully synchronous design that helps developers avoid timing problems.
• A built-in Serial Communications Interface (SCI).
• Two input capture functions and three output compare functions

The core was verified through direct comparison with a physical Motorola M6803U4 using a hardware modeler. It is available immediately either as an optimized gate-level netlist or as synthesizable VHDL. A datasheet and additional information can be found at www.cast-inc.com.

About CAST, Inc.

CAST offers IP and design data management products backed by consulting, training, and custom development services. The company’s IP center is located near New York City at 24 White Birch Dr., Pomona, NY 10970. Phone: 914-354-4945 Fax: 914-354-0325, E-mail: info@cast-inc, Web: www.cast-inc.com