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- Newsgroups: sci.electronics
- Path: sparky!uunet!europa.asd.contel.com!darwin.sura.net!convex!seas.smu.edu!utacfd.uta.edu!trsvax!rwsys!jim
- From: jim@rwsys.lonestar.org (James T. Wyatt)
- Subject: Re: Microcontrollers
- Organization: R/W Systems, Richland Hills, Texas, USA, 76118-5849
- Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 04:50:49 GMT
- Message-ID: <1992Jul28.045049.12065@rwsys.lonestar.org>
- Summary: Dallas Semiconductor DS5000 is good for tinkering/development
- Keywords: DS5000 8051 hacking microcontroller BASIC FORTH
- References: <BrMFKp.L8@world.std.com>
- Lines: 41
-
- In article <BrMFKp.L8@world.std.com> jonas@world.std.com (Jonas R Klein) writes:
- >I'm a mere hobbyist who is looking for a one-chip microcontroller
- >for various applications. The mind-boggling assortment of various
- >types has me stymied, though. I'm looking for low cost, built in
- >UART, small size (28 pin?). Or if there are ones that use 68000
- >code, programming would be easier as I have Amiga C compilers.
- >Any help would be appreciated.
-
- If you are looking for a good starter microcontroller, try the
- Dallas Semiconductor. Why? Because:
- 1) It doesn't need a programmer. You just power it up in 'load' mode and
- shove hex down the serial port. A built-in lithium battery holds
- your code for years. No delay while programming/erasing and no
- limit on number of reprogram cycles. You can write (or port) a
- monitor or FORTH or BASIC interpreter since it has lots of RAM.
- 2) It has pleanty of ROM/RAM (8-64Kb, depending on cost), an on-board
- (autobaudable to 9600) serial port, timers, counters, and lots
- of programmable I/O digital lines.
- 3) It fits in a 40 pin socket or a 40 pin SIMM (DIP only is 8 or 32Kb,
- but SIMMs come in 8/32/64Kb flavors). Sorry no 28-pin version.
- 4) There is free software from Intel (assembler, loader). The
- Frankenstein assemblers in the UseNet archives support it too.
- 5) It's pin (electrical) and bit (binary code) compatable with the
- Intel 8051, so if you build something you can put it into a
- cheaper part w/ EPROM and keep your DS5000 for the next project.
- 6) It is very low power, if you want to power with batteries.
- 7) If you build something like an encoder box, you can encrypt the
- firmware to prevent reverse-engineering.
-
- Disadvantage: It is an older 8-bit architecture and thus limited
- in its addressing and and programming. It also uses Intel's
- odd memory layout - but you get used to it. The SIMM is
- difficult to get a wire-wrap socket for. For the Amiga, you
- would have to get/compile the Frankenstein assemblers, I think.
-
- addendum: Most of the software noted above works under MSDOS. The
- Frankenstein assemblers work on anything w/ a compiler. A
- FORTH or BASIC or monitor program would work on the DS5000.
-
- --
- James Wyatt KA5VJL jim@rwsys.lonestar.org Semper Gumbi - always flexible!
-