Re: Intel 80C196 (newbie ?)

On 3 Dec 2003 18:04:43 -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Slavko
Vorkapitch) wrote in comp.arch.embedded:

> Is the 80C196 similar to the 8051 family ?
> 
> Thanks in advance,

It depends on what you mean by similar.  In the sense that they are
microcontrollers with some primitive on-chip peripherals and memory,
yes.  From almost any other point of view, no.

The '96 and '196 series are 16-bit microcontrollers.  They can do
operations on 16-bit registers, like add, subtract, and, or, in a
single instruction.  There is a single 64K address space, not
different spaces like code, data, internal data, external data,
special function registers.

The first 100 hex (256) bytes is register RAM, some addresses are
taken up by memory-mapped I/O, but the rest are all registers.  Any
address can be an 8-bit register, and two successive registers
starting at an even address can be a 16-bit register.

Some of its instructions are three address instructions (like ARM),
that is you can code something like:

   add var1, var2, var3

...and the contents of var2 and var3 will be added together and the
result stored directly in var1, without overwriting either of the
input operands.

The family is still used in some high-volume automotive applications,
but its life is limited.  Unlike the 8051, no other manufacturer ever
produced compatible parts.  The last I can remember Intel introducing
a new member of the family was about 8 years ago.  Since then they
occasionally discontinue individual family members as demand drops
off.

Today there are 8-bit microcontrollers that will run rings around it,
and 16 bit controllers that will leave it in the dust.  I would not
recommend it for any new designs.

-- 
Jack Klein
Home: http://JK-Technology.Com
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