Recently we had requests for SH2A from Renesas. It has a single chip version with both Flash and SRAM and a 200MHz clock delivering 480 Dhrystone MIPS per MHz.
There is SH versions with an MMU and external memory. They run some POSIX or Linux Operating system; however, versions can't run the single chip version without external memory.
On the other hand, Unison is tiny and offers all the same standards. Along with this small size it has great performance for a SoC MCU without external parts. The hardware interrupt mechanism has bank register switching with multiple banks for lighting fast interrupt processing. It is very impressive.
In addition SH2A has great hardware floating point on board for some versions and hardware fixed point on all versions. It should be a great signal processing and communications engine.
For any high end application short of video compression, this looks like a great choice. If you haven't looked at SH2A yet, and you need a high performance MCU, it is difficult to go wrong here.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Wireless Everywhere - Even Power
It is a very exciting time. Twenty years ago I was discussing wireless with a colleague (Spruce Riordon, VP At Carleton University) and we concluded that everything needs to be wireless - even power.
Now, looking back, we are there. There is wireless communications on virtually all devices if you want it and today there is wireless power pads and even wireless room power.
Today, Unision and DSPnano are being refined with various wireless communication options including bluetooth and wifi. Low cost wireless for data channel communication is expected too.
Along with this wireless communication comes power on self test (POST), diagnostics, and flash downloading and updates. Today, virtually all products are expected to maintain themselves in the field with some operator intervention. Just like wireline systems do today, wireless systems will have to offer this in the future; however this update represents more of a challenge in wireless (extra size, security issues, ...).
Unison is ideally suited for applications like driving power pads; however, I wonder how safe they really are. A pad with localized magnetic induction for power is not a problem as long as the field is weak; after all we live in a constant magnetic field created by the earth. I do wonder about the effects of these magnetic fields at the room level.
Why do crops grow poorly near power lines? This is a well known phenomena. The fields must be partially responsible (both magnetic and electric). Have we really thought this out? Show me five independent studies that demonstrate that it is 100% safe and then I'll consider wireless power for my home. Its time we added responsibility for people's health to the list of design requirements for all of these devices that substantially alter our environment.
Now, looking back, we are there. There is wireless communications on virtually all devices if you want it and today there is wireless power pads and even wireless room power.
Today, Unision and DSPnano are being refined with various wireless communication options including bluetooth and wifi. Low cost wireless for data channel communication is expected too.
Along with this wireless communication comes power on self test (POST), diagnostics, and flash downloading and updates. Today, virtually all products are expected to maintain themselves in the field with some operator intervention. Just like wireline systems do today, wireless systems will have to offer this in the future; however this update represents more of a challenge in wireless (extra size, security issues, ...).
Unison is ideally suited for applications like driving power pads; however, I wonder how safe they really are. A pad with localized magnetic induction for power is not a problem as long as the field is weak; after all we live in a constant magnetic field created by the earth. I do wonder about the effects of these magnetic fields at the room level.
Why do crops grow poorly near power lines? This is a well known phenomena. The fields must be partially responsible (both magnetic and electric). Have we really thought this out? Show me five independent studies that demonstrate that it is 100% safe and then I'll consider wireless power for my home. Its time we added responsibility for people's health to the list of design requirements for all of these devices that substantially alter our environment.
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