cheapest embedded processor with built in ethernet controller?

Sep 11, 2004 9 Replies

What is the cheapest embedded processor with a built in ethernet controller? Something like the 68360, but smaller and cheaper! :)



Thanks a lot!



Mike


I imagine there are other kits with cheaper prices, but take a look anyway, you can get a dev kit w/ compiler and everything else starting at $200.

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IIRC, Zilog has something, but I might be wrong. Poke around

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On this group, I've read about partial implementations of TCP/IP on PIC chips. That's more work for you, but is about as cheap as it gets.

One more thought is to just use an old PC computer with an Ethernet board and windoze or Linux and program away.

Depends what else you want, and how many :) Zilog have an eZ80 with CPU+Ethernet+Flash+RAM Dallas/maxim have an 80C400, CPU+Ethernet+RAM Myson also have 8051+Ethernet

-jg

Lantronix DSTni LX is $21 for 1k. That's the same processor used in XPort. The EX series comes with two Ethernet MACs and one PHY built in. Price should be similar. Remis.

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********************************* To reply, remove >.fake<

I took the question to mean what it would take to get going, like a student or hobbyist might want a couple chips, a dev board, a compiler, etc. I've noticed that cheap chips tend to require expensive compilers -- but maybe that's just my impression.

Just because you mnetioned the 68360, check the coldfire out.

Some of them have ethernet and 512k flash and 64k SRAM, so you probably don't need any external memory. That woul make a system cheap. And the chips are around $20 ...

Hi Mike,

If the MSP430 has enough horsepower for your processing needs check this one out, second board on the page:

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Regards, Joerg

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Micrel KS8695 is about $16 in 1's

This is a router chip with 5x 100 Base T Ethernets+PHYs (well a 4 port switch and two MACS), a 166 MHz ARM922T CPU, SDRAM interface, BootROM interface. serial port and GPIO. For about $20 you can get the same thing with PCI. Runs Linux

Peter Wallace

The New FreeScale aka Motorola MCF5270 coldfire is $7.50 in 10K pcs.

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It includes ethernet mac, SPI, I2C SDRAM controller 4 Timers 3 uarts. 64K of RAM.

Basic parts: 5270 (Includes 64K ram) 7.50 Ethernet Phy 2.00 Small Flash 2.00 Enet connector/mag 2.00 Crystals 1.00 Rs' C's 1.50 PCB 1.50 Total $17.50 or so..... For about $20.00 you can include Several Mbytes of SDRAM. That is about as cheap as is currently possible.

This is not some overstressed 8 bit wonder, its a 90+ MIPS 32 bit part that kicks ass. If you want a turn key solution for this part just give us a call.

Paul CTO

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