{"id":14219,"date":"2018-05-02T02:51:07","date_gmt":"2018-05-02T06:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/embedded-lab.com\/blog\/?p=14219"},"modified":"2018-08-05T12:01:56","modified_gmt":"2018-08-05T16:01:56","slug":"getting-started-nuvoton-8-bit-microcontrollers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/embedded-lab.com\/blog\/getting-started-nuvoton-8-bit-microcontrollers\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Started with Nuvoton 8-bit Microcontrollers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many of us who are involved in the embedded system industry like 8-bit microcontrollers. They are cheap, easy to use and solve most of the common automation problems. 32-bit micros are in that contrast expensive and are mainly intended for advance-level works that cannot be solved with 8-bit micros. Thus, 32-bit micros are not much demanding as the 8-bit ones. In most places, 8051s, AVRs and PICs are the most used 8-bit micros. The popular Arduino platform is mainly based on 8-bit AVR micros. However, these are not the only 8-bit micros of the whole embedded world. Nuvoton<\/em><\/strong><\/a> – a Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturer, is one such company that has its own flavour of 8-bit and 32-bit micros. The 8-bit micros from Nuvoton are based on the popular 8051 architectures. In this series of articles, we will be discovering Nuvoton N76E003<\/em><\/strong> 1T-8051-based microcontroller.<\/p>\n

\"SDK\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

N76E003 vs STM8S003<\/h1>\n

\"Hardware<\/a><\/p>\n

In terms of outlook, part numbering, pin layout and other basic features, N76E003 looks like a cheap Chinese copy of STMicroelectronics\u2019 STM8S003. However, as we all know, looks can be deceptive. Though several similarities, N76E003 is not a replica of STM8S003 in any way. In fact, in terms of architecture and some hardware features, N76E003 varies a lot from STM8S003. For instance, the processor core of these chips is not same. Even after having same pin layouts, N76E003 has several additional hardware than STM8S003, for instance 8 channel – 12-bit ADC.<\/p>\n

\"ST<\/a><\/p>\n

The table below summarizes an actual comparison of these chips.<\/p>\n

\"Features\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It is a good idea to consider N76E003 as an advanced 8051 micro in STM8S003 form-factor and having several similarities with the STM8S003.<\/p>\n

Hardware Tools<\/h1>\n

To get started only two things are needed \u2013 a prototyping\/development board and a programmer called NuLink. \u00a0There are two options either you can buy the expensive official NuTiny SDK boards with built-in NULink programmer\/debugger or you can buy the cheap unofficial ones as shown below.<\/p>\n

\"programmer<\/a><\/p>\n

My personal choice is the unofficial one.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Software Tools<\/h1>\n

Despite Nuvoton being a giant in manufacturing some of the industry\u2019s coolest chips, it greatly lags in terms of software tools. Unlike other manufacturers like STMicroelectronics and Microchip, Nuvoton doesn\u2019t have a free C compiler of its own. To use Nuvoton 8-bit micros, we have to use either Keil Micro Vision<\/a><\/em><\/strong> or IAR Embedded Workbench<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. Both industry-standard tools but are not free. However, there are trial and evaluation versions of these tools.<\/p>\n

\"keil<\/a><\/p>\n

The next stuffs that we will be needing are device datasheet, drivers, GUI for NuLink and sample codes with Nuvoton\u2019s official header and source files. These are available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We will also be needing a pin map because there are few pins in N76E003 and they have multiple functions.<\/p>\n

\"N76E003\"<\/a><\/p>\n

How to get started?<\/h1>\n

I have made two videos \u2013 one for Keil and the other for IAR. These videos show in details how to start building projects with N76E003 using these compilers.<\/p>\n