Cypress Microsystems Slashes Microcontroller Development Time and Cost With Software Tool Set that Enables Dynamic Reconfiguration.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2002

PSoC Designer(TM) Provides Unparalleled Flexibility and Adaptability for Designers of Industrial Control Applications

Cypress Microsystems, Inc. (CMS) today brought dynamic reconfiguration to its family of PSoC(TM) (Programmable System on Chip) microcontrollers (MCU). By enabling design engineers to program a single chip for a variety functions -- and then change functions on the fly -- dynamic reconfiguration reduces the time and costs of application development and provides maximum design adaptability throughout the development process.

Designed for flexibility, the PSoC microcontroller technology enables designers to select from a variety of peripheral "building blocks" to define the functionality that best fits their application and then easily map them to the underlying analog and digital hardware blocks. In contrast, traditional fixed-function microcontrollers offer little or no flexibility on the peripheral set of an individual device.

Dynamic reconfiguration is made possible by CMS's new PSoC Designer(TM) Software Tool Set, which includes a device editor, an application editor and a debugger. The development process begins by defining the peripheral set within the device editor subsystem. A graphical user interface (GUI) provides point-and-click capabilities to make specific peripheral choices. These choices generate the register bit settings to implement the desired peripheral set, as well as software for application programming interfaces (APIs), and interrupt service routines (ISRs).

Our customers care about how quickly and efficiently designs are finished," said Nathan John, director of marketing for CMS. "Dynamic reconfiguration can not only shave 30 percent off normal development time, but can streamline the design process by providing the flexibility to reconfigure of the microcontroller at any time."

In addition to changing the peripheral set on the PSoC MCU during the development process, developers can dynamically change the peripheral set during the run time of the application. The PSoC Designer allows the developer to create multiple peripheral configurations, and specify the events that will trigger the switch between these configurations. MCU systems typically go through multiple states during operation and the developer can have a unique configuration for each one of these states.

"Re-using on-chip resources provides developers with an effective way of reducing component inventory and costs," adds John. "It's like having a multiple MCUs in the same socket."

PSoC Designer Highlights

A real-time trace buffer follows the machine code and shows exactly what the in-circuit emulator is executing. Developers can trace up to a maximum of 64,000 entries. In addition, a time stamp or external event capture can be included in the trace buffer contents.

-- An application editor serves as the source editor for the system. Developers
can create and modify their code, as well as set software breakpoints for use
in the debugging process.

-- A device editor allows developers to select desired peripherals to optimize
the features to the application task at hand. This software also allows the
creation of multiple configurations that can be loaded and unloaded during run
time.

-- Dynamic event points permit complete trace buffer control in real time,
full-speed and non-intrusive to the microprocessor. Dynamic event points offer
a complex breakpoint capability, and can trigger internal or external events.

-- Developers have the ability to chain up to 64 unique events in sequence, and
can have up to 64,000 iterations of a single event prior to triggering.
Developers can select a section of executing code, and efficiently analyze
complex conditions in seconds.

-- The debugger serves as the interface to the in-circuit emulator (ICE).
Developers use this to run or single step through their code to look for
errors. Upon finding errors, developers can quickly switch back to the device
editor to change the device configuration, or the application editor to fix
coding errors. In either case, the system will automatically regenerate code to
match the new configuration.

About the PSoC Family

The PSoC microcontroller family integrates a fast, 8-bit CPU; 8 to 16 KBytes of flash memory; SRAM; and programmable arrays of analog and digital system functions -- known as PSoC blocks -- in low-cost, small-footprint packages. To save design time, CMS also offers user modules -- pre-designed peripherals built using these PSoC blocks. By selecting a PSoC microcontroller with the chosen combination of memory, PSoC blocks and pins, designers have a device that can be configured to any application and reduces costs by eliminating external chips and simplifying system design.

Pricing and Availability

The PSoC CY8C25x/26x microcontroller family design tool is available now and consists of:

-- PSoC Designer (Free)

-- Basic Development Kit, including PSoC ICE-4000 ($249)

About Cypress Microsystems

Cypress Microsystems designs, develops, manufactures and markets high-performance, field programmable integrated micro-based solutions for high-volume embedded control functions in computer, communications, consumer and control applications. Established as a subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:CY) in the fourth quarter of 1999, Cypress Microsystems's stockholders are its employees and Cypress Semiconductor. The close association with Cypress Semiconductor allows access to their process and design technology, and field sales and applications forces. Cypress Microsystems is based near Seattle in Bothell, Washington. More information about Cypress Microsystems and its products can be accessed through its Web site at www.cypressmicro.com.

PSoC, PSoC Designer, and Device Editor are trademarks of Cypress Microsystems.