NEC Electronics Europe introduces µClinux operating system for System-on-Chip Lite+

DUESSELDORF, Germany — 10 Dec 2004 --   NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH has introduced a µClinux implementation for the System-on-Chip Lite+ embedded microcontroller. On request, the embedded operating system (including complete TCP/IP stack and preinstalled web server) is supplied together with the System-on-Chip Lite+ development board.

NEC Electronics’ System-on-Chip Lite+ embedded microcontroller combines gate-array technology with a standard ARM7TDMI-S™ system (60 MHz) including a multi-port memory controller (SDRAM, SRAM, Flash, ROM) and a 10/100M Ethernet MAC. These core functions are completed by basic peripheral units such as timer, UART and watchdog. Even on its own, this processor system with peripherals is perfectly adequate for many applications, but the full functional diversity becomes apparent only with the integrated configurable logic. This is a sea-of-gates gate array area in 0.25 µm process technology that is configured via 4 metallization layers. For customized functions, such as a proprietary bus connection or the implementation of special hardware algorithms and IPs, the System-on-Chip Lite+ has 250,000 raw ASIC gates in the smaller and 440,000 raw ASIC gates in the larger variant. The UDL can access both the AHB bus of the ARM system and the peripheral APB bus.

The development board contains all the components necessary for the development of a custom controller. Apart from the System-on-Chip Lite+ prototype chip with the CPU system, there are various memory types (SDRAM, SRAM, Flash) and interfaces available. The customer-specific functions and IPs can in fact, be implemented via an FPGA on the board. The System-on-Chip Lite+ development board thus represents a complete functional equivalent of the final System-on-Chip Lite+ device, facilitating hard- and software verification already during the design phase. Once the design is stable, the contents of the FPGA are transferred by NEC Electronics to hardwired structures in the System-on-Chip Lite+. For further information visit http://www.ee.nec.de/soclite+

About NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH

NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH, headquartered in Duesseldorf, Germany, is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of semiconductor products in Europe. Committed to meeting customers' cost, performance and time-to-market requirements, the company offers solutions ranging from standard products to system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions, as well as customized products for next-generation designs. NEC Electronics also offers customers the benefit of state-of-the-art manufacturing locally in Europe, besides the global production of its parent company, NEC Electronics Corporation. Additionally, NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH is the exclusive European sales and marketing channel of LCD modules from NEC LCD Technologies Ltd.. For more information visit http://www.ee.nec.de.