Lpc2000

Hello all -
I just received an interesting note about a new RISC controller from Maxim:
http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm/qv_pk/4466

Sound interesting. Does someone checked it out in comparision to LPC2xxx,
AVR or MSP430?

(I'm not related to Maxim)

regards -
Henry

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Henry, 

> Hello all -
> I just received an interesting note about a new RISC 
> controller from Maxim:
> http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm/qv_pk/4466
> 
> Sound interesting. Does someone checked it out in comparision 
> to LPC2xxx, AVR or MSP430?

The MAXQ2000 (the first processor out of the box) is very impressive
when running programs.  It's single cycle, and has lots of accumulators
(registers).  Its performance runs rings around the AVR and MSP430, but
the LPC can outrun the MAXQ at high clock frequencies--but that's not
the MAXQ's forte, it's ultra low power, not just "low power".  It has
some quirks.  But it does work.

>> The MAXQ2000 (the first processor out of the box) is very impressive
when running programs. \ufffdIt's single cycle, and has lots of accumulators
(registers). \ufffdIts performance runs rings around the AVR and MSP430, but
the LPC can outrun the MAXQ at high clock frequencies--but that's not
the MAXQ's forte, it's ultra low power, not just "low power". \ufffdIt has
some quirks. \ufffdBut it does work. <<

Yeah, but you'll never be able to get hold any of the f@ckers! ;-)

Robert, 

> >> The MAXQ2000 (the first processor out of the box) is very 
> impressive
> when running programs.  It's single cycle, and has lots of 
> accumulators (registers).  Its performance runs rings around 
> the AVR and MSP430, but the LPC can outrun the MAXQ at high 
> clock frequencies--but that's not the MAXQ's forte, it's 
> ultra low power, not just "low power".  It has some quirks.  
> But it does work. <<
> 
> Yeah, but you'll never be able to get hold any of the f@ckers! ;-)

The eval board is $125 last time I looked.

--
Paul Curtis, Rowley Associates Ltd  http://www.rowley.co.uk
CrossWorks for MSP430, ARM, and (soon) Atmel AVR processors

>> The eval board is $125 last time I looked. <<

No, I was being disparaging about Maxim's incredible ability to release a 
thousand products a month, but to them never be able to actually deliver any 
of them when they reach "production"! ;-)

>No, I was being disparaging about Maxim's incredible ability to release a
>thousand products a month, but to them never be able to actually deliver
any
>of them when they reach "production"! ;-)
Often the chip manufacturers "probe" the market with new product ideas
before any realisation of the product. Just to see if is there an interest
for it and if a critical mass will be reached. That's not new!!
But I think they want offer a more up-to-date alternative to their
high-speed 8051 micros. I don't think they sell often that beast - running
at 5 volts with 1 watt power consumption for the 50 MIPS device, with such a
bad 8051 op-code set (Inefficient for high-level progs. I know what I'm
saying as an ex-Phytec employee).

The question is why they don't make ARM devices.

ciao -
Henry

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Henry, 

> Often the chip manufacturers "probe" the market with new 
> product ideas before any realisation of the product. Just to 
> see if is there an interest for it and if a critical mass 
> will be reached. That's not new!!
> But I think they want offer a more up-to-date alternative to 
> their high-speed 8051 micros. I don't think they sell often 
> that beast - running at 5 volts with 1 watt power consumption 
> for the 50 MIPS device, with such a bad 8051 op-code set 
> (Inefficient for high-level progs. I know what I'm saying as 
> an ex-Phytec employee).
> 
> The question is why they don't make ARM devices.

Requires multiple licenses, per-processor royalties, they can't alter
the instruction set, ARM isn't ultra low power, ARM is 32 bits.  That's
five good reasons.

--
Paul Curtis, Rowley Associates Ltd  http://www.rowley.co.uk
CrossWorks for MSP430, ARM, and (soon) Atmel AVR processors

>Requires multiple licenses, per-processor royalties, they can't alter
>the instruction set, ARM isn't ultra low power, ARM is 32 bits.  That's
>five good reasons.
OK Paul. That's not new to me. We will see if they succeed. A new compiler
must be available??

regards -
Henry

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Henry, 

> >Requires multiple licenses, per-processor royalties, they 
> can't alter 
> >the instruction set, ARM isn't ultra low power, ARM is 32 
> bits.  That's 
> >five good reasons.
> OK Paul. That's not new to me. We will see if they succeed. A 
> new compiler must be available??

IAR have a new compiler for the MAXQ that they have just announced.
Testing reveals some weaknesses and it goes *BANG* when pushed hard.
But it's only a v1 product.

Regards,

--
Paul Curtis, Rowley Associates Ltd  http://www.rowley.co.uk
CrossWorks for MSP430, ARM, and (soon) Atmel AVR processors

>> OK Paul. That's not new to me. We will see if they succeed. A
>> new compiler must be available??
>
>IAR have a new compiler for the MAXQ that they have just announced.
>Testing reveals some weaknesses and it goes *BANG* when pushed hard.
>But it's only a v1 product.
OK, I forgot to say we need a free or almost free compiler. I don't looked
at IAR but think they want (big) money for it??

- Henry

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Henry, 

> >> OK Paul. That's not new to me. We will see if they succeed. A new 
> >> compiler must be available??
> >
> >IAR have a new compiler for the MAXQ that they have just announced.
> >Testing reveals some weaknesses and it goes *BANG* when pushed hard.
> >But it's only a v1 product.
> OK, I forgot to say we need a free or almost free compiler. I 
> don't looked at IAR but think they want (big) money for it??

IAR's compiler is indeed expensive.  I've heard rumours that there are
other compilers being developed for it, but I don't know the details.

It would be challenging to put GCC onto it, but not impossible.  I
reckon code density for that would be abysmal.

--
Paul Curtis, Rowley Associates Ltd  http://www.rowley.co.uk
CrossWorks for MSP430, ARM, and (soon) Atmel AVR processors

>It would be challenging to put GCC onto it, but not impossible.  I
>reckon code density for that would be abysmal.
What means "abysmal"? Very compact code or very large RISC-like code
expanding profile?

Meanwhile I read the docs about the chip in part. I think it is a nice
product tailored to a specific market - at least for the chip they sell at
the moment.
Maybe interesting if a virtual machine runs on it, like Forth. (I like chips
with great MIPS power and low pin-count, connected via serial busses like
i2c to memory and outside world)

- Henry

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Henry, 

> >It would be challenging to put GCC onto it, but not impossible.  I 
> >reckon code density for that would be abysmal.
> What means "abysmal"? Very compact code or very large 
> RISC-like code expanding profile?

Very large code.  The machine uses hybrid pointers and is Harvard.  To
read from code space you need to call the utility ROM, for instance.

--
Paul Curtis, Rowley Associates Ltd  http://www.rowley.co.uk
CrossWorks for MSP430, ARM, and (soon) Atmel AVR processors

Sitting where I am, I'm not too sure what the value proposition is with the 
MAXQ2000 series....

At 02:01 PM 11/12/2004, Paul Curtis wrote:
>...
>
>Very large code.  The machine uses hybrid pointers and is Harvard.  To
>read from code space you need to call the utility ROM, for instance.

// richard (This email is for mailing lists. To reach me directly, please 
use richard at imagecraft.com)