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| Embedded
Systems |
Having
specialized to the development of customized interfaces as part
of our individual software products, we observed the need of
increased performance, stability and reliability offered by
hardware solutions. During our assessment phase we discovered
the complexity of interfacing hardware components to typical
16-bit, 32-bit microprocessors. On the other hand 8-bit systems
lacked performance and the ability to communicate with a local
area network. Finally we digged up an entire development platform
capable of supporting our needs. As the platform itself may
prove to be useful also for other companies, partners and customers,
we decided to include the development system in our product
list.Our
system of choice is called eZ80 Acclaim! and is derived from
the Z80 family of microprocessors. The eZ80 is manufactured
by  Zilog, the
developer of the original Z80 CPU. The eZ80 Acclaim! development
consists of the following components: |
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- eZ80
development platform
- eZ80F91
CPU module
- Ethernet
hub
- ZPAK
II emulator
- Universal
power supply
- Supplementary
cables
- ZDS
II Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
- Documentation
/ CD-ROM
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The
heart of the system is the eZ80F91 CPU operating at 50Mhz with
256KB on-chip Flash memory and 16KB of internal SRAM. The CPU
module provides an additional 512KB of off-chip SRAM and a 10BaseT
Ethernet Controller with RJ45 connector.The
development platform consists of the following major hardware
blocks:
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- Module
Interface (hosting the eZ80F91 CPU module)
- Application
Module Interface (hosting custom developed application modules)
- User
GPIO latches and LED matrix
- Two
RS232 serial communication ports
- Embedded
modem interface
- I2C
devices
- Power
connector
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The Zilog
Developer Studio II Integrated Development Environment (ZDS
II IDE) provides a complete suite of software tools to support
development with the eZ80 family of microcontrollers. Running
under Windows, it offers an easy-to-use GUI with language sensitive
editor, project manager, C-compiler, assembler, linker, librarian
and debugger. Sample software projects allow for an easy startup
with embedded system development. Debugging support is provided
through the ZPAK II Emulator, which serves a physical link between
ZDS II IDE and the target development system. Code may be downloaded
directly to the target system for editing and debugging purposes.In
addition to the features offered by the delivered package, the
object codes of the Zilog Real-Time Kernel (RZK) and Zilog TCP/IP
Stack (ZTP) are available as free downloads to registered eZ80
development kit users. For
more information such as the most current technical manuals,
products briefs, specifications and downloads, please refer
to the
manufacturers
site. In case of other questions and iquiries, please
contact us directly. |
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