The ColdFire processor for LCD screens can be used in medical and patient monitoring equipment.

Liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) with touch-screen interfaces have penetrated the consumer electronics market in the last couple years and are now ubiquitous. We see touch screens on Blackberries and at point-of-sale counters at the grocery store. Semiconductor manufacturer Freescale Semiconductor Inc., Chandler, Ariz., (www.freescale.com) is helping the trend move into the medical market with its ColdFire MCF5227x LCD processor.

The 32-bit devices are designed for developers who want to add graphical interfaces with touch-screen support to applications, without having to design in numerous discrete controllers and other components. Backed by Freescale's development program, the highly integrated devices combine on-chip color LCD and touch-screen controllers with a suite of connectivity and performance features for multi-function applications.

Applications for these processors include medical and patient monitoring products, and test and measurement equipment. For example, touch-screen interfaces might control heart monitors, blood-pressure monitors, or the direction of an electric wheelchair.

The MCF5227x processors are equipped with an integrated controller area network (CAN) module and a universal serial bus (USB) host, device and On-the-Go (OTG) module. These on-chip connectivity options give the flexibility to standardize or upgrade their serial communications. CAN connectivity addresses industrial reliability requirements and USB OTG provides an easy way to input data to or collect data from a system.

To enhance the performance of multi-function systems, the MCF5227x devices feature a flexible external bus and a serial boot-flash capability. When combined with the devices' 128K SRAM block, the boot-flash capability makes it easy to store code in the serial flash memory. In addition to enhancing system performance, the 128K SRAM block helps reduce the need for external memory. The external bus also reduces system cost by enabling a variety of cost-effective external memory configurations, including support for double-data rate memory, DDR.

Freescale's MCF5227x LCD processors are supported by a set of software development tools, including a complimentary version of CodeWarrior Development Studio for ColdFire Architectures V7.0. The Processor Expert rapid application design tool is tightly integrated into the CodeWarrior Development Studio, letting designers define applications and generate tested code in a friendly graphical environment. Additional professional-grade software tools and operating systems for the MCF5227x devices are available.

Freescale also offers a variety of open-source software tools to help MCF5227x customers reduce application development costs. These Linux OS-based tools include a uCLinux board-support package (BSP) with support for NanoX, an open-source GUI development software solution. The BSP also includes driver support for key peripherals, including USB, touch-screen control and CAN.

COLDFIRE LCD MICROPROCESSOR USES LOW POWER, SAVES SPACE, AND MORE

The MCF5227x microprocessor is the first ColdFire device to feature an integrated LCD and touch screen module, allowing more control and connectivity options for industrial control applications. Here are additional features of the processor.

• V2 ColdFire core delivers up to 153 Dhrystone, 2.1 MIPS at 160 MHz
• Low-power modes for run, wait, doze, and stop
• 500uA current draw on internal supply rail (IVDD @ 1.5V) in lowest power stop mode (Stop 3)
• Enhanced multiply-accumulate (eMAC) module
• Cross bar switching technology for concurrent, non-blocking accesses
• 128K dual-ported SRAM
• SDR/DDR SDRAM controller
• Integrated LCD controller
• Touch-screen and ADC controller
• USB host, device, and OTG module
• FlexCAN module
• Synchronous serial interface, I2C module, and three universal asynchronous receiving transmitters
• Real-time clock
• Pulse width modulation module
• Direct memory access timers and controllers and two programmable interrupt timers
• 1.5V core, 1.8V/2.5V/3.3V bus I/O
• 196-pin BGA and 176-pin quad flat package options