BDM interface cable provides low-cost debugging: News from Computer Solutions

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The new Multilink cable from Computer Solutions is an interface that provides low-cost access to the background debug mode (BDM) on Motorola's 68HCS12 as well as the earlier 68HC12 microcontrollers. The 68HC12 and 68HCS12 are enhancements of the earlier 68HC11 with additional registers, more address space and an integral BDM interface. The 68HC12 runs at 16MHz and the 68HCS12 at 25MHz.

The Multilink cable will operate with the latest 25MHz devices, and has speed to spare for the next generation of devices operating at up to 35kHz internal frequency.

In addition to operating at 5V, the interface will accept an external power supply, allowing it to operate with targets down to 2V.

It automatically adapts to the speed and voltage of the target.

The cable provides the hardware interface between an IBM PC parallel port and a standard 6-pin background mode header on a CPU12 target system.

As a result, the developer can take advantage of the background debug mode to halt normal processor execution and control on-chip resources.

The interface allows the user to directly control the target's execution, read/write registers and memory contents, as well as carrying out programming of internal or external Flash memory devices.

A wide range of P and E Products Windows-based software tools that use the Multilink cable is also available from Computer Solutions.

The range includes a powerful in-circuit debugger, the WinIDE integrated development environment (incorporating an optional configurable editor and assembler), a Flash EEPROM programmer (capable of programming both on- and off-chip flash areas), and the REGXX program for simplifying the debugging of register I/O.

The combination of the Multilink cable interface and versatile debug packages running under Windows 95/98 or NT means that Computer Solutions can offer many of the features of a full in-circuit emulator for these new high-speed devices at a fraction of the price.

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BDM interface cable provides low-cost debugging

The new Multilink cable from Computer Solutions is an interface that provides low-cost access to the background debug mode on Motorola's 68HCS12 as well as the earlier 68HC12 microcontrollers.