The Austin, Texas-based Microprocessor & Memory Technologies Group of Motorola Inc seems to have a pretty hot property in its 68356, dubbed the Signal Processing Communications Engine (CI No 2,440). The part combines a general-purpose microprocessor core – a 16-bit 68000, the dedicated RISC communications engine both from the 68302 multi-protocol communications processor, and a complete 24-bit digital signal processor, the 56002. Motorola says the 68356 is currently being evaluated by Bell Northern Research, Eicon Technology Corp, Megahertz Corp, Motorola Land Mobile Products Sector, Motorola Universal Data Systems Inc, Siemens Medical Systems Inc, and Xircom Inc. Motorola adds that it plans a special version, the 68356M, optimised for modem applications, which 356M contains pre-programmed V.34 – V.Fast data pump software and is backwards-compatible with other modem standards. The part will be released later this year, following final approval of the V.34 standard and interoperability testing. All the engines are fully static to optimise the 68356 for portable applications that need low power consumption and comes in 5V and 3.3V versions. The communications engine runs up to 25MHz at 5V and 20MHz at 3.3V. The signal processor runs at up to 60MHz at 5V and 45MHz at 3.3V. The communications engine incorporates three serial communication channels that can handle a range of standard, user-selectable communication protocols including HDLC/SDLC, Bisync, UART, DDCMP and transparent mode. Each serial channel is supported by two on-chip direct memory access controllers for receiving and transmitting to give access to memories without troubling the central processor. It also has an integrated serial communication port that enables the 68356 to communicate with other system components. Autobaud routines microcoded in the RISC processor enable the 68356 to detect speed and format of an asynchronous data stream, Motorola says. A PCMCIA slave interface that can process 8- or 16-bit is designed in to communicate with a corresponding host to save space and circuitry in card-mounted products. The signal processor area of the chip incorporates 5.25K-words of program and 5.5K-words of data memory. It samples in August in Motorola’s new 357-pin Ball Grid Array package; volume follows in the fourth at $65 for 10,000-up. The development system sells for $2,000.
