In-Circuit, Real-Time Emulators Target ST6 Microcontrollers

June 26, 2000

A pair of in-circuit, real-time emulators has been designed for use with STMicroelectronics ST6 microcontrollers. The DS6225A supports the ST6200, 01, 03, 08, 09, 10, 15, 20, and 25 models, while the DS6265A supports the ST6252, 53, 55, 60, 62, 63,...

Roger Allan

These emulators feature a Windows 95/98/NT user interface, a revised hardware section, and support for new devices in the ST6 family. According to their manufacturer, they are the most cost-effective, easy to use, and powerful tools for designing with ST6 microcontrollers. Both of them can be used to debug code and hardware designs.

The DS6225A and DS6265A operate with or without a target system, enabling unrestricted routine testing. Users can select the clock frequency—from 1 to 8 MHz—in fixed steps through the user interface. No external crystal or oscillator is needed, thanks to an internal frequency synthesizer.

Both devices are nonintrusive and transparent. No target processor resources are used. No interrupts, no I/O, and no memory locations are reserved for emulation purposes. No wait states are inserted, so true real-time execution is ensured. No spurious clock cycles are inserted between steps, either.

Accurate in-circuit, real-time emulation is achieved through a highly integrated external unit that easily connects to a PC's serial port. The DS6225A and DS6265A are controlled by a common, Windows-based user interface that accepts binary and Intel-Hex file formats. The DS6265A also comes with optional STMicroelectronics assembler DSD and SYM formats. Debug information is read from output files produced by the original STMicroelectronics cross-assembler. Programs are downloaded via an RS-232 serial port to the program memory in less than 4 seconds, with a 9600 serial baud rate and 4 kbytes of program size.

These devices support full emulation commands, offering an unlimited number of software breakpoints to stop the microcontroller's code execution while it is running. A special user interface function, I/O test, lets designers manipulate the emulated processor I/Os to test the full functionality of their external hardware without writing special software routines. It's also possible to set the outputs, read the inputs, and graphically change the I/Os' directions.

The DS6225A costs approximately 935 Euros. The DS6265A costs about 1060 Euros.

SofTec Microsystems, via Roma, 1 33082 Azzano Decimo (PN), Italy; +39 0434 640729; fax +39 0434 632 695; [email protected]; Internet: www.softecmicro.com.

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.