HC12 (+ Ethernet) development kit ?

On Mar 11, 4:45 am, Oliver Betz <O...@despammed.com> wrote:

> >In short, we'll be generally staying with the NE64 and the benefits of
> >our experience with it, except for one application that needs more
>
> It's o.k. to _stay_ but I wouldn't start a new product with it.

By staying with it, we will be starting numerous new products with
it.
It works and we know how to use it.

Oliver Betz wrote:
> cs_posting@hotmail.com wrote:
> 
>> What do you feel is inefficient about the NE64?   If an HCS12
> 
> computing power. Future of the device.

Agreed, the part is a dead end. If future versions of your product 
require more or less capability then you will be forced into a painful 
move to another part.

>> processor is suitable for your application, it is a great choice.
> 
> IIRC, on a busy network, the poor S12 can get heavily loaded.

Only if there are a lot of Windows machines kicking up their usual 
broadcast storms. Only broadcast packets and packets addressed to your 
MAC address will get the attention of the CPU.

> It's o.k. to _stay_ but I wouldn't start a new product with it.

Almost 2 years ago I did start a new product with it. Last I heard it 
still has not shipped. Not an NE64 problem, but one of the problems that 
caused me to leave.

At the time Coldfire was promising similar solutions but uncertain 
delivery, couldn't wait. One chip with SRAM, FLASH, MAC + PHY was what 
the NE64 offered. Atmel's SAM7X, ARM with ethernet, was another 
attractive option that is now shipping.

I wasn't terribly happy with Freescale's "free TCP/IP protocol stack." 
Sloppy code ported from an 8 bit implementation where the MAC was 
hanging off I/O ports.