Motorola's IEEE-ISTO Nexus 5001 Compliant Debug Port
6 March 2000
Motorola Demonstrates First IEEE-ISTO Nexus 5001 Compliant Debug Port Implementation
AUSTIN, Texas--March 6, 2000--Core Supported by HIWARE, Metrowerks and Tektronix
As speed continues to be a defining criteria in product development across markets, engineers relying on embedded components are seeking standard development and verification environments to speed product development times.
Responding to this, Motorola will demonstrate the world's first scalable IEEE-ISTO Nexus 5001(TM) debug port on the M-CORE(TM) M3XX core at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 2000 World Congress meeting this week. Motorola intends to provide a full Class 3 compliant debug block for the M-CORE M340-based silicon and expects this to be implemented in future products based on this core in 2001. This debug block will also be integrated into all future M-CORE cores.
Motorola's demonstration at SAE 2000 features a Class 2+ implementation on an M-CORE M3XX core utilizing a Tektronix Logic Analyzer and a HIWARE Integrated Development Environment to showcase the processor's real-time debug capabilities. The addition of the Nexus interface allows the M3XX core to deliver unprecedented on-chip debugging capabilities, both static and dynamic.
In addition, Motorola's Metrowerks Hardware Development Tools team has implemented an EBDI controller that converts the Class 2+ 2 bit MDO pin information to 40 bits (tcode,address,rdy). A project is underway to improve controller throughput for read/write access and to support Class 3 data messaging. This Nexus Class 3 block will be implemented in future M-CORE-based products.
Standard on-chip debugging capabilities for the Nexus Class 2+ interface include support for low intrusion run control, program flow reconstruction, and data messaging for logic analysis, low intrusion data monitoring and modification for calibration/data table tuning, and coprocessor communication support for rapid prototyping.
This support allows customers to complete each of these debug tasks with a single standard interface, reducing tool and design costs as well as non-recurring engineering (NRE) fees for customization work.
"Customers are demanding semiconductor solutions that eliminate customization and speed development time and time-to-market," commented Jim Thomas, vice president and director of the Motorola M-CORE Technology Center.
"Before the advent of controllers that integrated the Nexus interface, designers were forced to devote significant development time and resources to the verification and tuning of embedded controller applications. Now, this process will be simplified, allowing them to focus on delivering M-CORE-based products quickly," Thomas added.
The M-CORE M340, part of the high-performance M-CORE M300 family, can work at lower frequencies while accomplishing the same task in a comparable amount of time, adding additional power savings to power-conscious applications. The M340 is implemented in Motorola's .25u process technology and will operate from DC - 100MHz at 2 Volts.
Future products based on the M340 will be ideal for applications with low power and price-sensitive demands. Portable games, DVD players and camcorders, as well as wireless systems, communications, engine control and servo-motor control applications, will benefit from the enhanced M340's numeric performance.
The addition of the Nexus interface will allow M340-based controllers to deliver unprecedented on-chip debugging capabilities, both statically and dynamically. The static debug block utilizes OnCE(TM) via the JTAG port, and the dynamic debug block integrates the Nexus specifications. The M340 debugging capabilities include the ability to control the processor in applications, delivering non-intrusive real-time visibility and access to the M340 resources.
About Nexus
The Nexus 5001 Forum, a program of the IEEE-ISTO, is an industry group chartered to define and implement a global open, microcontroller development interface standard for all embedded controller applications. The Forum is composed of embedded processor manufacturers, and Motorola is one of a group of charter members. Additional information and a complete list of Nexus 5001 Forum members can be found on the Consortium Web site: http://www.ieee-isto.org/.
About M-CORE
Introduced in 1997, the M-CORE microprocessor architecture broke industry records for acceptance, garnering a record $1.6 billion (USD) in design wins for the corporation in the first six months in the demand-driven electronics, portable, consumer, wireless, industrial and transportation markets.
The M-CORE technology is a fixed-length, 16-bit RISC architecture with internal 32-bit data path that combines Motorola's unparalleled technical RISC experience with its vast expertise in control-oriented applications. Optimized at 1.8V, the M-CORE architecture offers the lowest power consumption available for 32-bit microRISC processors with .9 MIPS-per-watt.
Designed with optimized growth in mind, the core's inherent design features and best-of-class development tools deliver a cutting-edge solution ideal for a wide range of highly integrated, low-power embedded computing applications where memory efficiency, time-to-market and system cost are critical. EDN magazine named the M-CORE architecture one of the hot technologies of 1998.
About Motorola
As the world's No. 1 producer of embedded processors, Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector offers multiple Digital DNA(TM) technologies which enable its customers to create "smart" products and new business opportunities in the networking and computing, wireless communications, transportation, and imaging and entertainment markets. Motorola's worldwide semiconductor sales were $7.4 billion (USD) in 1999. See http://www.Motorola.com/semiconductors/.
Motorola Inc. is a global leader in providing integrated communications solutions and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 1999 were $30.9 billion. See http://www.Motorola.com.
Note to Editors: Throughout the release, the "-" (hyphen) in "M-CORE" represents a small, centered black dot. Also, in the last line of the ninth graph, the "u" in ".25u" represents the micron symbol.