Product category: Communications ICs (Wired)
News Release from: Cypress Semiconductor | Subject: enCoRe family
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 13 September 2002
Low-cost micro implements
USB and PS2 interfaces
When CKS Holdings wanted to add USB versions to its successful range of industrial keyboards, it found a low-cost microcontroller that supported both USB and PS2 functionality
Looking to add USB versions to its successful range of industrial keyboards, UK-based CKS Holdings found Cypress Semiconductor provided the best design solution with a low cost microcontroller that supports both USB and PS2 functionality in a family that had been specially developed to give reduced component count.
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 13 September 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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CKS already supplies a successful range of high quality PS2 connected keyboards and tracker balls, but was looking to offer its customers similar product specifications with the option of connecting to the increasingly popular USB interface.
Unfortunately, the microcontroller used in the existing product ranges was unsuitable for the implementation of a USB connection for reasons of speed and power management.
After reviewing available devices in the market, CKS chose a microcontroller from the Cypress Semiconductor enCoRe family.
Cypress, which has shipped over 150 million USB devices to date, recently enhanced its leadership position in the low-speed USB market with the introduction of this new family of innovative microcontrollers for USB featuring enhanced component reduction - hence enCoRe.
With its design expertise in USB solutions, Cypress created a new family of low-speed USB microcontrollers that enable peripheral developers to design new products with a minimum number of components.
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At the heart of the enCoRe USB technology is the breakthrough design of a crystal-less oscillator.
By integrating the oscillator into the chip, an external crystal or resonator is no longer needed (although can be added for precision).
In addition, other external components commonly found in low-speed USB applications such as pull-up resistors, wake-up circuitry, and a 3.3V regulator are all integrated into the chip.
All this adds up to a lower system cost.
For CKS, the enCoRe family also offered an increased number of I/O lines compared with the previous controller.
This enabled the development of a single chip keyboard design with an 18 x 8 (144 key) keyboard matrix, three LED drives, one beeper drive and two auxiliary lines for a second communication channel such as a PS2 mouse input, without any extra support circuits.
The enCoRe family are 8bit RISC one time programmable (OTP) microcontrollers.
The instruction set has been optimised specifically for USB and PS/2 operations, although the microcontrollers can be used for a variety of other embedded applications.
In the CKS application, the microcontroller also handles keyboard scanning, resolves the two-key rollover problem and provides special custom functions.
Cypress was able to supply CKS with source code for the firmware required to implement a standard range of PC keyboards and mice in both USB and PS2 formats.
As the USB engine can also handle a PS2 communication hardware interface this gave CKS the ability to develop a common solution to future keyboard requirements.
The code is well structured and consists of several logical modules that are linked together under the control of a top-level master module.
Some modules had to be extended or modified to handle the special requirements of CKS.
The Cypress microprocessor is supported by a low cost in-circuit emulator, programmer and assemble/linker package which together with local support from the Cypress FAE team facilitated the process of additional code development and debugging.
Using the enCoRe family, CKS engineers were able to develop a cost reduced pcb design for its keyboards which could be changed from a PS2 to a USB version with a simple jumper and use of the correct cable.
The enhanced functionality of the processor has also enabled the improved implementation of a combination keyboard with built in trackerball, and the provision of a PS2 port on another keyboard to allow the connection of a trackerball via the keyboard to a single port on the PC.
These enCoRe-based solutions are now an important part of the CKS product ranges.
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