CROSSWARE WIZARDS CREATE SUPER FAST CYGNAL

CHIP ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT

 
  • Code Creation Wizards enable developers to create programs in seconds

  • Creates configuration code for all Cygnal on-chip peripherals

  • Calibrates the frequency of the on-chip oscillators

  • Completely configures the UARTs and associated timers in a single click

  • Generates complete UART I/O handler with a user specified input buffer size

 

CAMBRIDGE, UK, February 19, 2002, Crossware (www.crossware.com), a leading embedded software tools developer, has added Code Creation Wizards to its 8051 Development Suite to support the mixed-signal microcontrollers from Cygnal Integrated Products (www.cygnal.com). Using sophisticated visual interfaces, the Wizards help create a super fast environment in which developers can create complete programs in seconds for any of Cygnal's 8-bit chips.

Cygnal Integrated Products, Inc. of Austin, Texas, designs, manufactures and markets advanced in-system programmable, mixed-signal System-on-Chip products and associated support tools, designed to address a broad range of markets including communications systems, industrial equipment and consumer products.

The Crossware Wizards will generate code for all of the on-chip peripherals of the Cygnal chips. These include A/D converters, comparators, D/A converters, a programmable counter array and numerous timers, communications devices and voltage sources. The Wizards will also generate code to erase and program flash, configure external memory, and produce interrupt handlers.

The Cygnal chips also feature on-chip oscillators and can support a range of different types of external oscillator too. Crossware's Oscillator Wizard looks after these. For most variants the on-chip oscillator frequency can vary from chip to chip by +/- 20%. This variation may be too much for many applications (such as an RS232 interface) and so the developer can either resort to measuring the on-chip frequency using a measuring instrument connected to the chip or can add a more accurate external oscillator such as a crystal.

A particularly powerful feature of Crossware's Oscillator Wizard is its ability to connect to a target board and accurately measure the on-chip oscillator frequency. It takes only 5 seconds to measure the frequency to within 0.5% and so a considerable amount of time can be saved. Furthermore, for variants that have a programmable on-chip oscillator, the Oscillator Wizard will read the reset value of the calibration register from the target board and perform all of the calculations necessary to set the programmer's desired clock rate.

Setting up a UART to run at a particular baud rate is not particularly difficult for an experienced 8051 programmer. However, the Cygnal chips run 12 times as fast as a normal 8051 microcontroller and provide additional options for UART timing. Crossware's UART Wizard knows all about these and works with the Oscillator Wizard to obtain the oscillator frequency and with the Timer Wizard to configure the timers. It can completely configure a UART to run at a particular baud rate with just a single click of the mouse. It can then generate a complete set of interrupt driven I/O handlers, with a user specified input buffer size, to fully support RS232 serial communications with a connected device. The in-experienced programmer can get started just as quickly as an experienced one.

Interaction between Wizards takes place continuously. Crossware's Port Wizard, which looks after the crossbar, port multiplexing and port pin configurations, is often called upon to provide information about the port settings. For example, the UART Wizard will use it to obtain and display information on whether or not the receive and transmit pins have been configured, and if the crossbar has been enabled.

Crossware's Code Creation Wizards create C source code using the Cygnal's mnemonics for registers and bit fields (suitably modified in accordance with C guidelines). This makes it easy to relate the source code generated to Cygnal's datasheets.

Rapid switching between Cygnal variants is also possible through the use of special configuration files. When the programmer selects a different variant, the Wizards will either check and adjust the initialisation code, or swap the configuration files for alternative ones. When switching back to the original variant everything is fully restored.

The configuration file system used is compatible with that introduced by Crossware for its ColdFire Development Suite (see http://www.crossware.com/press/december00/coldfire.htm). This compatibility allows the programmer to target the same program at a ColdFire variant or alternatively to target a ColdFire program at a Cygnal variant. In neither case is any of the original configuration code lost - switching back to the original chip will restore the original files.

 

About Crossware (www.crossware.com)

Crossware is a leading developer of programmer-friendly C cross compilers and other development tools for embedded systems based on the 8051, ColdFire, 68000, CPU32 and other chip families. Host environments include Windows 9x, Windows 2000 and Windows NT. The company, founded by Alan Harry in 1984, is headquartered in the UK at Litlington on the outskirts of Cambridge. Crossware’s products are used throughout the world by professional developers, educational establishments and hobbyists.

 


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Copyright © 2002 Crossware Products. All rights reserved. Revised: 19 February, 2002.

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