[comp.sys.m68k] Is 68000 E signal a good clock ?

rainer@hibachi.colorado.edu (Rainer Malzbender) (08/15/90)

Sorry, this is a real RTFM question, but the manuals I have are unclear.
I'm currently hacking a 68008 with a 10 Mhz clock, and I'm feeding an 8254
with the same clock. Well, the rub is, it's late at night and I only have
an 8253, which will only accept clocks to 2 Mhz. So my brilliant idea is
to temporarily use the E pin, which is advertised to be CPU clock/10.
Having fortunately avoided 6800 peripherals and micros so far, I know little
about this signal. Is it in fact just the CPU clock divided down, or does
it do squirrely things when wait states or interrupts happen ? I need it
to be rock solid.

Thanks for all the fish, er, help.
--
Rainer M. Malzbender                          Technology recapitulates biology.
Dept. of Physics                (303)492-6829       rainer@hibachi.colorado.edu 
U. of Colorado, Boulder, USA                  malzbender%opus@vaxf.colorado.edu

daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) (08/17/90)

In article <24775@boulder.Colorado.EDU> rainer@hibachi.colorado.edu (Rainer Malzbender) writes:

>Having fortunately avoided 6800 peripherals and micros so far, I know little
>about this signal. Is [the E clock] in fact just the CPU clock divided down, 
>or does it do squirrely things when wait states or interrupts happen ? I need
>it to be rock solid.

The E clock is indeed a free running clock, 4 CPU clocks high, 6 CPU clocks
low.  It's not affected by wait stated, interrupts, or bus arbitration.

>Rainer M. Malzbender                          Technology recapitulates biology.


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