rrw@naucse.UUCP (Robert Wier) (03/29/90)
Please forgive the cross - posting. I wasn't sure where
to place the following:
Motorola in recent years has made available an evaluation board
and processor, the M68HC11EVB, at a very reasonable price. They
have sponsored several "student design" contests. In teaching
a senior level digital design course, during the past couple of
years it has moved strongly towards being a 2nd microprocessor
course, with some other topics thrown in such as transmission
line theory.
In prior semesters, I had the students use university owned
68K boards but found a couple of problems:
1. These boards are somewhat expensive, so I was loath to have
the students do any kind of major wire-wrap or hardware circuit
alterations due to the potential damage possible, and
2. 68K programming is complex to the point that undergrads,
particulary those in EE rather than CS, spend a lot of time in
the course learning how to program, rather than looking at the
digital hardware involved.
Thus, I'm seriously thinking about dropping the current 68K
text (Clements, which I really like, btw), and instead buying
one of the 68HC11 EVB kits. These are suggested retail for
$68.11 (cute), but can be had by your bookstore/college cheaper.
This price is within range of what a textbook normally costs, and
I've heard that students like courses where they have something
of a hardware nature to take home at the end. The text then would be
the technical literature included with the kit plus probably some
Kinko's type hand out literature.
The 68hc11 board seems quite functional, given that it is an
8 bit processor. Basically a 6800 with an extended (by a considerable
amount) instruciton set. The board includes the processor,
monitor rom, 8k of ram extendable to 16k, two rs232 ports - one
for host computer and 1 for a terminal, some timers, and all bus
signals are brought out to a wire wrap connector, which would make
things convenient if I wanted students to breadboard a DRAM circuit,
or maybe another port interface, etc. A terminal and 3 voltage
power supply is
required also, which we already have on hand from the 68k boards.
I wonder if anyone out there has already done this, or is considering
doing it? I'd be quite interested in exchanging ideas for lab
assignments, potential problems, etc.
In addition, I know that Motorola is having an educators conference
in early June (did you get your T-shirt? Was it the right size?),
and from the agenda it appears that some "break out" sessions will
be on these topics.
I'd appreciate any information. THANKS!
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- Bob Wier Northern Arizona University
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