ColdFire Microcontrollers

The 68K/ColdFire family of embedded controllers are code compatible, allowing for migration through the profile without investing in entirely new tool sets.

The Version 1 68K/ColdFire core processor provides the industry’s first 8- and 32-bit compatible devices, allowing easy migration between the architectures while delivering 32-bit performance at a lower price point. The V1 core is a simplified version of the ColdFire V2 core, featuring the same addressing modes and instruction definitions. It is designed to share the same set of peripherals as the 8-bit S08 architecture.

Part of National’s PowerWise energy-efficient product family, the highly integrated regulators feature a variety of input voltages and output currents, and offer a combination of power sequencing, adjustable switching frequency and clock synchronisation options.

Common peripheral modules include an oscillator clock (OSC), internal clock source (ICS), analogue-to-digital converter (ADC), inter-integrated circuit (I2C) and serial communications interface (SCI).

• V1 68K/ColdFire core up to 50 MHz—pipelined 32-bit core with 32-bit address bus for access to the local flash and RAM.
• V2 68K/ColdFire core up to 166 MHz—32-bit address and data buses and an integrated debug module.

Pin compatibility and a common CodeWarrior integrated development environment (IDE) bridge the 8-bit and 68K/ColdFire portfolios.  The CodeWarrior drivers, initialization tool, debugger, compiler and CodeWarrior implementation of the instruction set architecture (ISA), and the IDE are all upward compatible from the S08 architecture. All 68K/ColdFire cores (V1, V2, V3 and V4) share the same architecture and instruction set, up/down code compatible with minimal driver rewrites.

Freescale continues to make the transition to 32-bit easier through entry-level ColdFire microcontrollers with connectivity and security features, with V1ColdFire core critical to the ‘controller continuum’ and the creation of the industry’s first 8/32-bit compatible architectures. The continuum sees the expansion of the profile with the introduction of the MCF5223x Ethernet devices, MCF5221x USB devices and the MCF51QE32 ultra-low-power devices.

The MCF5223x family of devices are single-chip solutions that provide 32-bit control with an Ethernet interface. It combines a 10/100 Fast Ethernet Controller (FEC) and Ethernet Physical Layer (EPHY) with the V2 ColdFire core for exceptional performance. The MCF5223x embedded controller provides the designer with the right set of peripherals and memory size for a compact Ethernet-enabled platform.

The MCF5223x family integrates standard 68K/ColdFire peripherals, including three universal asynchronous receiver/transmitters (UARTs), an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) and queued serial peripheral interface (QSPI) for in-system communications to connected peripherals.
All family members are pin-to-pin compatible within the MCF5222x family, in like packages. MCF52231 adds a CAN module, MCF52233 adds 128KB of Flash, MCF52234 adds CAN module and 128KB of Flash, MCF52235 adds a Cryptographic Acceleration Unit, a CAN module, and 128KB of Flash to the standard MCF5223x peripheral set.

MCF5221X family features an integrated USB On-The-Go (OTG) and a wide variety of serial interface offerings (up to three UARTS, one SPI, two I2C) which makes it ideal to develop applications that require device or host USB plus easy connection to other systems.  MCF5221X Family is based on the popular, low power V2 ColdFire Core (up to 80MHz and 76 MIPS performance @ 3.3V CPU).

The QE family, comprising of a pin-compatible 8-bit and 32-bit device duo, is the first family in the Flexis series that connects the Freescale’s  ‘Controller Continuum’. The MCF51QE32 device extends the low-end of the 32-bit ColdFire controller family with up to 32KB flash memory and a 20-channel, 12-bit analogue-to-digital converter (ADC). An optimized architecture provides lower operating voltage and current, making the Flexis series provide industry-leading ultra low power devices, minimizing operating costs and extend battery life.

The 68K/ColdFire family of embedded controllers is backed by a selection of hardware and software tools that include evaluation boards (EVBs) and development kits, compilers, debuggers, simulators, drivers, translators, protocol stacks and real-time operating systems.
CodeWarrior Development Studio for ColdFire Architectures, Standard and Professional Editions are available from DevToolDirect. complimentary downloads.

Features & benefits:

• Save board space
• Reduce power consumption
• Enable connectivity
• Pin, tool & peripheral compatibility with family

Application information:

ColdFire Microcontroller Applications:

• Medical Instrumentation
• Point of Sale
• Factory Automation
• Fire/Security
• Consumer
• HVAC & Building Control

Typical Examples:
MCF51QE32 Ultra Low Power application: Blood Pressure Monitor
MCF52213 USB application: RFID Tag Reader
MCF52236 Ethernet application: Ethernet to 802.15.4 Gateway & Sensor Network

Product information table: