Ethernet and MC9S12NE64FS

[jab]

hello all,

I've been working with the PIC18 family and sending data over Ethernet to the PC. Now I need a microcontroller with integrated Ethernet. I've looked around and the MC9S12NE64FS series looks like a good option, so I'm thinking about buying the EVB9S12NE64IMG development board/kit.

Before I buy this kit I just need to know if this is the right kit for me. My project is to read in some parallel data (through I/O) and then send this data over Ethernet (as UDP packets) to a PC with as minimal delay as possible. Is this the right board to do this, are there any other boards/chips that you guys could suggest.

Ofcourse buying the MC9S12NE64FS chip would mean learning all the complexities of the chip and programming it from scratch. How difficult will it be to get up to speed with the EVB9S12NE64IMG, are there good examples provided with the kit? what editors are available to program in, besides CodeWarrior, any free ones?

Any suggestions /feedback would be appreciated,
Thank you .

[jab]

Thanks you for all the input. I contacted the local Freescale distributor and he also suggested the MC52235 32-bit chip - MC52235EVB evaluation board. They have one in stock so have decided to go with that.

Ultimately I want to handle an interrupt (clock) and send out a UDP packet to a fixed IP address on that clock. Lets hope I can use the bundled software and get something up and running .

I'll be back.

[ThaManJD]

Ive been using ne64 for a little while and think it would be ok for your situation. Also consider something like the 32 bit mcf52235. It has a bit more RAM and program space.

Ive been using the standard paid for codewarrior. I see there are others using GCC to compile. How you go about freeware debugging i'm not sure. The free crippled Codewarrior for hcs12 is difficult not so much because of the max compile size but more because of the 32 file limit. If you can get the project under 32 files and 32k code size it'll work ok.

NE64 gets pretty warm at with the MAC/PHY operating at 100Mbit full duplex. datasheet says somewhere around 260mA - 270mA?

Ethernet Auto negotiate does not work properly with every device(laptop/switch/router etc). In fact its a bit of pot luck whether it will work or not. Recommend just set manually to full duplex 10mbit or 100mbit.

There is an option to allow the NE64 uC to control LEDs associated with ethernet. The activity led doesnt work very well under uC control so I and other have found it's better to pick up a an activity notification and set/clear leds yourself.

Ive been using the uTasker stack/scheduler. OpenTCP appears to be popular and i believe the are other crippled comlimentary stacks available. I think you can find a port of OpenTCP that has been done as a template for NE64. uTasker certainly had that and to begin with i didn't have to learn too much of the uC's inner mechanics.

I'm not sure what your definition of "minimal delay as possible" might be but i have run experiments with pushing lots of UDP out of the NE64 and on a PC my 20-odd byte packets streamed down the terminal screen faster than i could properly read them.

Whether NE64 is fit for purpose depends a lot on how many and which features you want to implement. In my projects for instance i needed http web, ftp, arp, ping, tcp and udp available. I wanted dhcp but had to leave it because the code and ram space the dhcp module wanted was more than i could afford. So i just went with static IP's.

I agree regarding the NEcore12 from technologicalarts. This is a great little unit to use on a wishboard or to insert into a project,TechnologicalArts carrier board or veroboard or to experiment with to get you going with NE64.

John Dowdell

[WadeH]

The 'neCore12' board from Technological Arts .....

http://www.technologicalarts.ca/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=50_69&products_id=311

 ... was receiving and replying to UDP messages within a couple of hours after modification of

its demo-software. Support is quick, too (even for v. stoopid questions.) 

Wade Hassler