New Laboratory Tools And Techniques For Embedded Microcontrollers

Some modern microcontrollers are being introduced with on-chip debug facilities called background debug modules (BDM) along with on-chip Flash EPROM. These microcontrollers open new doors in education. For the first time they make development of single-chip final product designs practical in the laboratory at a reasonable cost. This paper covers the development tools, both software and hardware, and processes used to take advantage of these new devices and to overcome some of the challenges of single-chip designs. It will show methods that will allow the students greater insight into real-time operation of their assembly and C programs in the final product configuration. Specifically, the M68HC912B32 microcontroller is covered. Tools covered include evaluation boards used as BDM pods and targets, a sourcelevel BDM debugging system, and the HP54645D Mixed-Signal Oscilloscopes.