Issue
155 June 2003
Encore!
Zilog's
Z8 Flash Memory-Based Micro
by
Jeff Bachiochi
Zilog’s Encore! has Jeff standing
and clapping, and for good reason. In addition to
bringing flash memory to its Z8 ensemble, Zilog
has delivered a great set of peripherals that have
Jeff’s imagination working overtime.
Start
•
Encore! • Address
Space • Data
Space • Communication
•
DMA
•
Debugger
•
Loosen Up
•
A Question Of Balance
•
Algorithms Anyore?
•
Sources
and PDF
Have
you ever been to a really good concert? If so, then
you know of the feeling: what starts out as a gentle
foot tap, quickly escalates into a full-fledged air
guitar solo. I recently attended an outdoor concert
that was plagued by rain showers. Fortunately, the warm
rain created in me a sense of heightened anticipation,
particularly after it was clear that wet was the outfit
of the day, and I had made the conscious decision to
go with the flow. Although the band stayed dry (for
the most part), they fed off the energy of the soaked
fans. Thus, after their last set, they returned for
multiple encores, performing to the cheers of an aged
crowd. (I’m allowed to use that term because the band,
like myself, is over the proverbial hill.)
Concerts
aren’t cheap anymore, so when I put down the bucks,
I expect a good show. I’m rarely disappointed, and when
it comes down to the end of the show, it’s the encore
that leaves me with a smile and over-active adrenaline
glands.
Can
you get pumped in the same way about a microcontroller?
Today, the first thing I look for when choosing a microcontroller
is whether or not it’s flash memory-based. This is because
I’m a blow-and-go kind of guy. My debug process advances
by executing code and correcting errors based on what
actually happens (or doesn’t happen). I take full advantage
of simulating most of the code; but it really boils
down to trying it out for real. The expensive windowed
parts require UV-erase time between code changes. Today’s
flash memory parts reprogram quicker than the time it
takes to change the code.
Zilog’s
Encore! family brings flash memory to their popular
Z8 product line. In April, Fred Eady sang the praises
Zilog’s $49 Z8 Encore! test-drive kit. His column, “Test-Driving
the Z8,” paid homage to the TRS-80 (Z80), and showed
how far Zilog (and manufacturers in general) has come
by not only improving their products, but also providing
good tools for their support (Circuit Cellar 153).
