USB + ADC + Controlled Vcc, in 6x6mm package

jmg

Here is a nifty device that gives Prop users some useful peripherals, in one package :

* USB interface, claims to not need a crystal
* Voltage regulator, and with external NPN or PNP, Sources up to 1 A for use by external circuitry.
Variable output voltage from 1.8–3.6 V in 100 mV steps.
* 12b ADC
* 10b iDAC with 4 word FIFO 0.5 mA, 1.0 mA and 2.0 mA.
* Current-to-Voltage Converter (IVC0) #1
* Various Clock generation choices
* Fine PLL, 23-80MHz
* up to 6 x 300mA 5V drive pins, 16 Drive choices (2.7*V <= VIOHD <= 6*V, VOL = 0.8V), 400mA total power budget.
Programmable safe state: high, low, or high impedance.
Programmable drive strength and slew rates.
Programmable current limiting. #2
Powered from a separate source (VIOHD, which can be up to 6*V) from the rest of the device.
* price indicator : "begins at $2.68/10K for SiM3U1xx"

http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/mixed-signalmcu/Pages/SiM3C1xx.aspx

oh, and you get a free uC, in the corner

Seems easy to drop the FT232R and regulator, and use this instead.

#1 : Current-to-Voltage Converter - few details, but this has pins, so perhaps a mV-scaled Current shunt reader ?
#2 : Not clear if that is current regulated drive, or just a protection set point.

Tubular

Interesting, hadn't seen that one. The twin ADCs with resolution vs speed tradeoff looks interesting.

Couldn't find any stock. Any ideas on when they might become available?

jmg

The marketing release claims this
["Pricing and Availability

Production quantities of Silicon Labs’ Precision32 MCUs are available now with flash sizes scaling from 32 to 256 kB and in five leaded and leadless package types, ranging from a 6 mm x 6 mm QFN-40 for space-sensitive applications up to an LGA-92 for maximum I/O configurations. Product pricing in 10,000-unit quantities begins at $2.20 for SiM3C1xx non-USB MCUs and $2.68 for SiM3U1xx USB MCUs (prices in USD)

Silicon Labs’ UDP hardware tools include economical SiM3U1xx-B-DK and SiM3C1xx-B-DK development kits available for $99 (USD MSRP).
"}

but marketing departments are looser with English, so allow some weeks for the supply pipelines to operate.

No mention of a Toolstick development choice ?

Update: Findchips gives empty part codes, but going direct to Digikey on SIM3U, gives real stocks on qfp80 parts, and development boards.
Looks to be about +30% on the equivalent sized ATXmegaxxU, and +40% on the smaller ATmega32U, and ~2x the price of a FT232H (but that is for 80 pins, 128kF, smaller ones not listed yet )

Peter Jakacki

I noticed that this thread is not Propeller specific but from my point of view it is......

I jumped onto this one as soon as Silabs notified me as I am always after small ARM footprint (but not BGA) packages that do not need a crystal. From my experience with Silabs their internal oscillators are very good. Sadly the QFN packages are not yet available but QFPs and eval boards are which is fine for now I guess. It's the small 6x6mm easy to use packages such as QFN that really make this ARM stand out from the rest (plus crystal-less operation). In anticipation I have downloaded their IDE to play with and we will see how that goes. There is still the STM320F407 Cortex M4 that I am playing with and developing a fast internal Forth to ease application development and testing. Targeting this code for the M3 core on the Silabs part should not be too difficult then.

The Silabs ARM chip will probably be a better companion for the Propeller chip in a number of ways, many of which I have outlined in other threads. As mentioned it could be used for the USB connection as well as provide the extra functions that the ARM is good for along with some of it's peripherals and memory. If the peripheral chip can be tacked into a corner of a pcb easily then it fulfills one of the requirements that I have for such a device to assist the Propeller.

jmg

Peter Jakacki wrote: »

The Silabs ARM chip will probably be a better companion for the Propeller chip in a number of ways, many of which I have outlined in other threads. As mentioned it could be used for the USB connection as well as provide the extra functions that the ARM is good for along with some of it's peripherals and memory. If the peripheral chip can be tacked into a corner of a pcb easily then it fulfills one of the requirements that I have for such a device to assist the Propeller.

and don't forget the instrument side.. A chip like the Prop can benefit from some probes:
Average voltage will be easy, and you would need 8 capture channels to watch all 8 cogs..
Ideally, such an instrument would capture narrow pulses, duty cycle and frequency.

The Silabs part looks light on 32 bit timers, ( why DO 32 bit vendors take so LONG to wake up to 32 bit timers ?!)
- but the cross point system might let you map what they do have, to maybe do a polled capture on 8 pins, and a more detailed time edge capture on chosen pins...

I see an Atmel release claiming 9 x 32 bit timers, but it seems only on some variants.. (Smaller ones are cut down to 6x16b ?! )
TI offer 64 bit timers, but not on small parts.