UARTs expand design options

Each device has a global interrupt status register that allows the interrupt service routine to quickly identify and service the channels that are pending.

Exar has released the XR16V598 and XR16V698 highly integrated 15Mbit/s UARTs.

The 16/32byte XR16V598/V698, when added to the 64byte FIFO XR16V798, gives customers a range of design options and complements Exar's high-performance, 8bit bus interface octal UART family.

These devices are targeted at Point-of-Sale (POS), servers, industrial automation, public parking systems, ticketing machines among others.

In addition to supporting faster data rates, this octal UART family offers 16, 32, or 64byte FIFO as well as capabilities such as automatic hardware/software flow control, a fractional baud rate generator and a global interrupt status register.

These features enable system architects to further optimise their designs and accelerate bringing their products to market.

Each device has a global interrupt status register which allows the interrupt service routine to quickly identify and service the channels that are pending.

Performance is increased by eliminating the need to individually read each channel's status to determine if it requires servicing.

Unlike legacy UARTs that require one chip select and one interrupt line per channel, the XR16V598/V698 require only one chip select and one interrupt line per device, simplifying the hardware design.

The fractional baud rate generator also improves hardware efficiency.

This feature gives the hardware designer the flexibility to use a clock source that may already be used by other components on the board to generate the desired baud rates.

This eliminates the need for an extra crystal or external clock source.

Suitable for mixed voltage environments, the XR16V598/V698 with 5V tolerant inputs operates from 2.25 to 3.63V.

In addition, it has 5V tolerant inputs.

This feature allows the XR16V598/V698 to be used in a design where the input voltage levels may be greater than its supply voltage of the XR16V598/V698 without increasing its power consumption.

The XR16V598/V698 supports automatic RTS/CTS or DTR/DSR hardware flow control with programmable hysteresis, automatic software flow control, RS485 half-duplex direction control with programmable turnaround delay, Intel or Motorola bus interface and sleep mode with a wake-up indicator.

It also has the industry standard 16C550 register set and is pin-for-pin compatible with Exar's XR16V798.

The XR16V598/V698 are supported by Exar's UART software drivers for popular operating systems including Windows 2000, XP and Linux.

With the software drivers and Exar's application support line, UART customers can accelerate implementation by eliminating driver development, testing and diagnostic procedures.

Samples of the XR16V598 and XR16V698 are available now.

Both devices come in 100-pin QFP packages at 2.25V with 3.63V operation with 5V tolerant I/Os over the industrial temperature range.

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