hi, Is there any processor with all the peripherals of a x86 board embedded in it , including the vga controller ? I just googled and found such a processor from st micro but they are not available nowadays.Can anybody suggest any alternatives , or any roundabout methods to this . Thanks in advance. Krishna.VJ
You might look at the AMD Geode. It looks like it has vga.
But I don't think you will find a single chip with all the peripherals. You would still need external memories. If such a chip existed, there probably wouldn't be so many different SBC's (single board computers) available for sale.
Alan Nishioka
It can be done with a soft CPU in an FPGA.
Leon
roundabout method? have a look at:
Don...
-- Don McKenzie E-Mail Contact Page: http://www.dontronics.com/e-mail.html Micro,TTL,USB to 1.5" color LCD http://www.dontronics.com/micro-lcd.html USB,RS232 or TTL to VGA Monitor http://www.dontronics.com/micro-vga.html World's smallest USB 2 TTL Conv http://www.dontronics.com/micro-usb.html
Hello ,
You can try Gator 550-G.
Best Regards, Vivekanandan M
Greetings,
The ZFx86's got it all. It is basically an entire x86 computer i one single ship. Quite cute actually...
/RaceMouse
kkrish wrote:
Geode is quite close to this. However, only the graphics modes are implemented in hardware, but text modes, such as 25 lines x 80 characters, is implemented in firmware (SMM?), which can cause unpredictable delays to program execution. Similar emulation is used for other high level peripheral functions.
If the application requires fast and predictable task switching or interrupt handling, these emulation delays must be carefully studied.
Paul
This is true for GX1 and earlier processors. For the Geode GX and Geode LX, however, text modes are hardware modes. Emulation only comes into play when you *change* VGA or VESA modes. (i.e., if you write directly to VGA registers to change modes, they get "emulated" by SMM code) On these later processors, you can write to b800, or do int10s, etc, and no emulation is needed. Of course, if you are in an OS with a driver, no emulation is needed, either.
This is certainly true. The register emulation may get in the way for lots of things. If you go into a mode, and stay in it, there really won't be any emulation delays, however. (on GX and LX)
I wouldn't design in this part, particularly given its past history. Maybe all the logistics issues are solved for good. Maybe they aren't. In either case, ZFMicro is a tiny single-product company with the potential to evaporate without trace tomorrow.
hi, Thanks for your replies. I saw the ZF processor and i feel it may suit our applications.Still we have the question "Will there be anyother processor with built in VGA unit".All most all the processors require a motherboard given by the manufacturer.If we could get the processor we can make our PCB.If you feel i have not understood your answers please point out. Thanks
You have asked a question in such a way as to preclude a useful answer.
The "correct" answer to your question is that if you seek a single-chip solution integrating CPU and display controller, x86 is not the core you will be choosing. Furthermore if you ask this question in these terms, you don't have the domain knowledge to be building such a system anyway.
What is more important: x86 or a single-chip solution?
Thanks , I need x86 because my software is x86 based and i need single chip because the board size is bigger .
As a general rule of thumb, if power dissipation or physical size are important engineering criteria, x86 is practically always the wrong core for the job.
The only situation where x86 is the "right" choice is where you MUST run an x86-only operating system, usually Windows. However you did not stipulate this. Your comment above implies (to me at least) that you developed your application on an x86 and that has constrained your thinking into x86 for the actual fielded version.
If you developed your application in x86 assembly language, it must be small and therefore not overly much effort to port to another core.
If you developed your application in an HLL, it must likewise be possible to port - perhaps easier than a small assembly language program, perhaps not.
Either way, the engineering effort required to port software to a properly dimensioned microprocessor is _at least_ an order of magnitude less than trying to bring up your own custom-built x86 design. The fact that you're considering the ZFx86 indicates that you don't have huge performance requirements, also - meaning there's a lot of room for you to choose inexpensive, small solutions.
If you developed a large application in x86 assembly, then you're presently reaping the wages of sin... but it's still going to be less engineering effort for you to choose the right part for the job than to bring up your own design, particularly around a maverick processor like ZFx86.
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