Polymodular CPUs

[jbv]

Karl Helmer Torvmark  :

> I would heartily recommend that any new projects use modern controllers.

Agreed.

> If you look at the Atmel AVR for instance, you have a flash-based
> controller (no more expensive "window" development kits, OTP-based
> controllers are really not suitable for DIY) with plenty of on-chip
> pheripals (sp?) and you can choose from everything from a part with 1K
> program memory, no RAM, and only one timer to a chip with 128K program
> memory, 4K of RAM, 4K of EEPROM, 3 timer-counters, 8 channel 10-bit ADC,
> up to 48 I/O pins, possibility of adding up to 64K of external RAM,
> and 3 PWM outputs.

Yep. And for VERY FAST brute force processing, take a look a the new Scenix uC
(www.scenix.com) :
typical machine cycle 20 ns (50 MHz version) or 10 ns (100 MHz version), and
most instructions
require only one machine cycle !
Only one drawback : only 2K of onchip flash memory...

Along with Paul Maddox (for the analog parts), I'm presently designing a module
that will feature three
of these uCs (100 MHz)...

jbv