Silicon Labs Expands 8-Bit MCU ToolStick Platform To Include Stand-Alone Programming Capability

This intuitive ToolStick system consists of three simple parts: a base USB adapter, a daughter card, and a programming adapter. The base adapter connects to the PC using a standard USB port. The daughter card, specific to the device the customer needs, interfaces to base adapter and enables the user to develop and debug their program. Once the designer has evaluated the target MCU and application specific circuitry using the daughter card, the card can be disconnected and replaced with the programming adapter which transforms the ToolStick into a stand-alone programmer. The software development environment includes the easy–to-use Integrated Development Environment (IDE), editor, debugger, Flash programmer as well as an evaluation copy of the Keil C compiler.

“Silicon Labs pioneered the concept of a ToolStick, and we continue to innovate with the goal of making our customers’ jobs easier,” said Derrell Coker, vice president of Silicon Laboratories. “There is no other suite of tools that offers a lower cost, more complete method to evaluate, develop, and program our powerful mixed signal microcontrollers for a variety of applications.”

Silicon Laboratories’ C8051F mixed-signal MCUs include up to a 100 MIPS pipelined 8051 CPU, up to 128 kB Flash memory and high-precision analog peripherals in packages as small as 3 x 3 mm. Configurable high-performance analog, fast core and in-system programmability provide designers with complete design flexibility, improved time-to-market, superior system performance and greater end product differentiation. Silicon Labs’ broad MCU portfolio is ideal for a number of applications in the industrial, automotive, communications and consumer markets.