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Product Brief

AMD Élan™SC400 Microcontroller Windows CE µforCE™ system

The µforCE™ system provides a reference/demonstration platform for mobile and embedded product development using the ÉlanSC400 microcontroller and the Microsoft® Windows CE operating system. The combination of the ÉlanSC400 microcontroller and the Windows CE operating system offers an attractive alternative to system designers who are looking to enable smaller, more powerful dedicated systems.

The ÉlanSC400 microcontroller offers a low-power Am486® processor core, PC/AT compatibility, and a sophisticated memory management unit to ensure high performance and efficient mobile designs. The ÉlanSC400 microcontroller also combines all common logic and I/O functionality associated with an embedded or mobile computing system on a single device.Windows CE is a portable operating system that can run on any CPU with 32-bit performance and a memory management unit. The Windows CE operating system is superior to Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 for most GUI (Graphical User Interface) embedded applications. The Windows CE O/S also offers "pocket" versions of Microsoft applications: Pocket Excel, Pocket Word, Pocket Internet Explorer (PIE), and Inbox (EMAIL). Microsoft plans to add more connectivity features in future versions of the Windows CE operating system such as game/web features and more connectivity options.

High performance, small size, easy connectivity, and low power consumption are the key features of the µforCE demonstration system. This system can serve as a reference platform for mobile/embedded computing designs, and will enable the designer to understand the functionality of an ÉlanSC400 microcontroller/Window CE O/S-based application.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

The µforCE Demonstration System Board:
  • ÉlanSC400 microcontroller supports:
    • Matrix scan keyboard
    • Flash Minicard slot
    • PCMCIA type 2 slot
    • IrDA infrared
    • Serial port
  • Tritech 10-bit digitizer controller for pen input
  • Crystal audio chip for very high quality audio output
  • Power supply logic based on Micrel power controller chips
  • 4 Mbyte Flash
  • 16 Mbyte DRAM
  • Demo of Windows CE operating system shell and sample applications
  • The system is also shipped with:
    • 64-key matrix scan keyboard
    • 480 x 320 ALPs LCD with resistive digitizer overlay
    • NiMH battery pack
    • A/C wall power converter
      cube (providing DC 12 V input to µforCE board)
    • Documentation: theory of operation, schematics, data sheets, and bill of materials

    * "Pocket" version software is sold separately from the Windows CE operating system


 ÉlanSC400 Microcontroller FEATURES:  ÉlanSC400 Microcontroller BENEFITS:
  • 33-, 66-, and 100-MHz @ 2.7 V or 3.3 V,
    8 Kbyte cache, full static design
  • High performance, low power,
    small packaging
  • Integration of PCMCIA and graphics
    controller, PMU, UART, parallel and
    IrDA port
  • Built-in functions include:
    8259A, 8237A, 8254, RTC, RAM
    Ctrl, ROM Ctrl, 8-16-bit ISA bus
    controller, Local bus controller
  • Integration of PLL, PMU, and lower
    voltage device offering
  • µforCE Demonstration System
    (features ÉlanSC400 microcontroller)

  • ÉlanSC400 microcontroller evaluation board (features Élan SC400 microcontroller)
  • Enhanced Am486 CPU Core


  • Optimized for mobile systems
  • Low-cost graphics to support Windows CE O/S
  • Single-chip with integrated
    compatibility


  • Built-in power management
  • Reference platform for mobile or embedded computing designs
  • Complete evaluation, debug, and prototyping system for ÉlanSC400
    microcontroller/Windows CE-based designs

 Windows CE FEATURES:  Windows CE BENEFITS:
  • 32-bit, multi-tasking, multi-threaded
    operating system

  • Windows CE support for ÉlanSC400







  • Visual C++® development system for Windows CE (Software Development Kit (SDK) and Device Driver Kit (DDK))
  • Familiar Windows user interface
    with lots of connectivity
  • Compact and scalable design,
    providing high performance in low-memory conditions
  • Portable (ROM) O/S, unobtrusive power management supporting long battery life on mobile devices
  • Micro-kernel, specific CPU management implementations, API stack, Windows CE O/S shell, Pocket Internet Explorer (PIE), Solitaire, tools and compilers, and driver code examples
  • Robust C++ cross-compiler; SDK can create applications to run
    on any Windows CE O/S
  • Great GUI shell-no learning curve
  • Allows for future support of a range of embedded, mobile, consumer, or multimedia product lines

 Providers of Windows CE OS Support:  Operating System Design Support:
  • bsquare incorporated
    Bellevue, WA
    (425)519-5900
    sales@bsquare.com

    Windows CE licenses
    ÉlanSC400 support (CE Express Kit)
    System integration services
    Software driver development
    Windows CE applications (bF AX,
    bFIND, bPRINT, bMOBILE)
    Software applications development

  • Phoenix Technologies Ltd
    San Jose, CA
    408-570-1000
    pico@phoenix.com

    ÉlanSC400 support with power
    management (Phoenix
    PicoPAL™ for Microsoft Windows CE available with SoftPower Technology™)

    FLASH support (Phoenix PicoStar™ for Microsoft Windows CE)

    System Integration services
    Software driver development
The µforCE/QNX demonstration system was developed by AMD, Microsoft, and bsquare. Each of these companies extend ÉlanSC400 microcontroller/ Windows CE operating system design support beyond the µforCE system by providing evaluation hardware, ÉlanSC400 Software Developer Kits (SDKs), Device Driver Kits (DDKs), as well as design and training expertise to support quick time-to-market for portable and embedded designs.

Tools for Windows CE development:

Visual C++ Development System (Enterprise or Professional): cross compilers, assemblers, remote debuggers and simulation tools.

Microsoft Embedded Tool Kit (ETK) for Windows CE

bsquare® OAL binaries for ÉlanSC400 to compile a Windows CE image for uforCE or ÉlanSC400EVAL

Other AMD tools available:
 ÉlanSC400EVAL evaluation board for extended development of
ÉlanSC400/SC410 microcontroller/Windows CE OS designs; provides one platform for fast evaluation, debugging, and prototyping of designs

ÉlanSC400EVAL microcontroller silicon: available in 33-,66- and 100-MHz speeds

For Product Information, contact our Literature Support Group.

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