The ECE 345 Microprocessor FAQ Project aims to compile comprehensive documentation on four commonly used microcontrollers in the course and develop examples and a development board for one of them. The project focuses on reducing research time and enhancing understanding of microcontroller effectiveness by consolidating resources into a more accessible website format. Future work may involve expanding the website and hardware design to support ongoing educational projects for students.

1. ECE 345 – Microprocessor FAQ Project #4 Charles Oster Joseph Ngai April 30, 2003

2. Goal Create an Extensive FAQ and Documentation on 4 Commonly Used Microcontrollers in the ECE 345 Course BasicX –24 MC68HC912B32 XSA-100 FPGA TMS230C54x Create Working Examples of Each Microcontroller Develop a Development Board for One of the Microprocessors

3. Benefits Gives a Better Understanding of Each Microcontroller’s Effectiveness Simplify the Process of Choosing Which Microcontroller is Best for a Given Application Reduced Research Time

4. Steps Researching Available Microcontrollers Reading Vendor Documentation Trying Existing Documentation’s Techniques Reconciling Differences – HC12 Consolidating Documentation Into a Single Source

5. Documentation Originally Intended Several PDF Files Website More Appropriate Many Things We Could Do with a Website that a PDF File Could Not Give Links to company websites Downloadable code Pictures and schematics Easily Accessable

6. Web Documentation Main Page Short Description of Each Selection Guide Links to Manufactures’ Sites Microcontroller Sections How to wire How to program Vendor Documentation Notes Example Programs Where to get development software

7. Problems with Web Documentation Finding Best Documentation Most had to be Tested to Insure Accuracy HC12 Wiring TI Setup What Sections to Provide to Future 345 Students Usefulness Understandability Past Problems

8. BasicX-24 Vendor Docs are Fantastic! Easy to Program Most Features – Spent a Lot of Time No Real Problems

9. MC68HC912B32 Widely Used Development Board Expanded Memory Real-time DSP Background Debugging Support

10. HC12 Problems Software Crashes Found Links to Better Software Found Emulator for Easier Debugging Serial Boot Loader is Inferior Development Board Supports BDM Interface Contradictions in ECE Shop’s Documentation Created Procedures that We Tested

11. XSA-100 FPGA No Real Problems Not Widely Used – Least Amount of Time Difficult to Program

12. TMS320C54x - Problems Manual set up is not recommended Code Composer

13. TMS320C54x – benefits It is a very flexible DSP board, there are many things you can do with it. Filtering Sound and video effects Communication projects.

14. In the Future Website Is Fairly Easy To Expand Hardware Design Can be Constructed/Expanded if Department Is Serious About Using It List of Ideas for Future 345 Student Projects

15. Questions

16. Thank You ECE 345 – Microprocessor FAQ Project #4 Charles Oster Joseph Ngai