CROSSWARE ENHANCES 8051 TRAINER

WITH FLASH MICROCONTROLLER AND DEBUGGER

 
  • 100% backward compatible microcontroller upgrade

  • Full source level debugging and simulation

  • ANSI C compiler with Code Creation Wizards

High resolution versions of this image are available here

 

CAMBRIDGE, UK, February 13, 2003, Crossware (www.crossware.com), a leading embedded software tools developer, has enhanced the 8051 based FLT-32 Microcontroller Trainer with a new software suite and a modern flash programmable Atmel chip to make it a state-of-the-art system for teaching modern embedded development techniques.

The FLT-32 Microcontroller Trainer, first introduced by Flite Electronics (www.flite.co.uk) in 1990, is used to teach microprocessor and control principals to electronic engineering and computing students worldwide. The system incorporates a standard 8032 microcontroller and a text based command line monitor, which allows students to download and run programs from a host PC. Numerous application boards are available that connect to the Trainer allowing a range of sophisticated experiments to be performed.

The Crossware enhancements include an upgrade from the original 8032 chip to the modern Atmel T89C51RC2 microcontroller, which includes 32k bytes of flash programmable memory. Switching to the superior T89C51RC2 leaves the Trainer 100% compatible with the original system and thereby avoids any changes to existing teaching courses.

Other enhancements include additional peripherals such as a five channel program counter array (PCA), serial peripheral interface (SPI), keyboard interrupt interface, hardware watchdog timer, and enhanced Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) with a dedicated baud rate generator and automatic address recognition.

A new programmable array logic (PAL) from Flite Electronics also preserves the backward compatibility of the Trainer and provides additional addressing logic, which allows programs to be run from the microcontroller's internal flash memory. Programmed into this memory is a special version of Crossware's debug monitor. In conjunction with the Crossware 8051 Training Suite running on a host PC, this debug monitor supports full source level debugging. Furthermore, by using the internal baud rate generator to drive UART communications with the PC and by using a PCA timer to control single stepping, the debug monitor leaves all three of the standard 8052 timers available for the user - two more than available with the original software monitor.

The Crossware 8051 Training Suite with ANSI C compiler and relocatable assembler includes numerous features supporting the T89C51RC2 chip. These include full simulation of on-chip peripherals and Code Creation Wizards to allow configuration code and outline interrupt handlers for these peripherals to be generated in seconds.

Atmel's in-system programming (ISP) software is also provided. This allows users to completely reprogram the on-chip flash memory with their own stand-alone applications. The Crossware debug monitor can readily be restored later using the same ISP method. With three alternative operating modes - the original command line monitor, full source level debug, and stand-alone ISP mode - the enhanced system provides a truly modern Trainer with unparalleled flexibility.

 

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 NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. 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 © 2003 Crossware Products. All rights reserved. Revised: 13 February, 2003.

CROSSWARE® is a registered trademark of Crossware Associates.