Cypress Unveils Programmable SoC

WOODINVILLE, Wash., November 13, 2000 - Cypress MicroSystems, a subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor, today introduced a family of programmable system-on-a-chip (PSoC) devices, designed to implement a single, configurable device on MCU-based system boards. As general purpose solutions, PSoC devices are targeted for implementation in embedded applications, including audio, wireless, handheld, data communications, Internet control, industrial, and consumer systems.

PSoC devices integrate a fast microcontroller, SONOS-based (Silicon Oxide Nitride Oxide Silicon) Flash memory and SRAM, and programmable arrays of analog and digital system functions - known as PSoC blocks - in low-cost, small-footprint packages. To save designers time, Cypress MicroSystems also offers User Modules - pre-designed peripherals comprised of PSoC blocks. By selecting a PSoC with the needed resource combination of memory, PSoC blocks and pins, designers have a device that reduces costs by eliminating external chips and simplifying system design.

"Today there are thousands of different 8-bit microcontrollers on the market, and designers still have trouble finding one that is a perfect fit for their application. In addition, embedded applications require analog peripherals that usually call for additional external devices," said Mike Polen, Cypress MicroSystems's vice president of marketing. "Engineers know that the perfect solution is a custom-designed system-on-a-chip, but custom microcontrollers, ASICs and PLDs are expensive, require very large volumes or call for specialized design skills."

"In contrast, the Cypress MicroSystems PSoC solution offers custom configurations, takes no time or special expertise to create, incurs no NRE, and integrates both analog and digital functions," continued Polen. "These factors make the cost of the PSoC solution competitive with standard microcontrollers."

SONOS - a proprietary Cypress process technology - is key to Cypress MicroSystems's system-on-a-chip. SONOS is a cost-effective, electrically-erasable, programmable, non-volatile memory structure that speeds time-to-market at a cost that is comparable with commodity devices. SONOS is also being implemented in Cypress Semiconductor's frequency timing generators, USB controllers and intelligent control network devices.

About PSoC blocks and User Modules
After a review of the peripherals found in microcontrollers and the analog ICs used in typical designs, Cypress MicroSystems engineers selected a variety of digital and analog peripherals, then created PSoC blocks, or system-on-a-chip blocks, and integrated them into each PSoC device. Users select the functions they need and configure the PSoC blocks on the PSoC device accordingly.

Digital PSoC blocks are 8-bit peripherals that can be programmed to perform a variety of functions by changing the contents of a few registers. They can be configured as timers, controllers, serial communications ports, CRC generators, or pseudo-random number generators. They can be connected in series to handle more complex functions - for example, a 24-bit timer is three connected 8-bit PSoC blocks acting as timers.

Analog PSoC blocks consist of programmable operational amplifier circuits that can be configured to perform a set of typical analog peripheral functions. Analog PSoC blocks can be programmed by setting a few registers to internconnect and trim the appropriate operational amplifier circuit to creat the desired result. Among the typical peripherals that can be created are amplifiers, DACs, ADCs, analog drivers, and high-, low- and band-pass filters.

To eliminate the need for customers to understand PSoC blocks in-depth and further shorten development time, Cypress MicroSystems developed User Modules, preconfigured peripherals created from PSoC blocks. User Modules allow customers to select the functions they need and automatically integrate the necessary PSoC blocks into their PSoC device.

Software Support
Cypress MicroSystems will offer PSoC Designer, a complete development system to support the PSoC device. The system will include a C compiler and assembler, a linking and debugging tool, an in-circuit emulator, and the Device Editor.

Designers can use the Device Editor and its graphical interface to configure a PSoC device by dragging the desired peripherals or functions - from a library of User Modules - into the part. The selected User Modules are then automatically mapped onto the available PSoC blocks.

On-chip Flash program memory stores each PSoC device's parameters, allowing the user to reprogram the device during production, during system test or in the field. PSoC devices may even be self-reprogrammed remotely.

The CY8C25000/26000 family contains 6 to 40 general-purpose programmable I/Os, embedded flash memory that varies in size from 4kB to 16kB, and SRAM blocks ranging in size from 128B to 256B. All of the devices contain 8 digital and 12 analog blocks. There are four continuous-time, opamp-based, blocks and eight blocks configured for switched-capacitor circuits. The programmability feature of the family is used primarily to interconnection the various blocks.