The Hardware Configuration of Teaboard


Besides being able to be put to practical use as is as a highly functional embedded control board that runs T-Kernel, Teaboard was developed by focusing also on T-Engine software training uses, such as T-Kernel, T-Kernel Extension, and T-Monitor in IT-related educational institutions. For that reason, it is different from the conventional T-Engine development kits and µT-Engine, and thus we have equipped it with many distinctive interfaces convenient for practice, such as a 7-segment LED, a buzzer, a temperature sensor, and various types of switches. Moreover, reflecting the network society of the present, we have provided it with a 10/100Base-TX network function as standard equipment.

In this article, we give an explanation centering on the distinctive hardware of Teaboard [Note 1].

Outline of the Hardware Specification

Hardware Configuration

Teaboard/ARM920-MX1 consists of one CPU board.

We show the configuration of the CPU board in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 1. CPU side of Teaboard

Figure 2. Rear side of Teaboard
  1. CPU: MC9328MX1
  2. SDRAM (also on rear side)
  3. LAN controller
  4. CPLD read-in connector
  5. D/A converter
  6. Reset switch
  7. CPU mode switch
  8. Power supply connector
  9. USB- Type-B connector
  10. Power supply LED
  11. Network connector
  12. RS-232C connectors
  13. Buzzer
  14. Toggle switch
  15. Chip LED
  16. 7-segment LED
  17. Temperature sensor
  18. DIP switch
  19. JTAG connector
  1. CPLD
  2. SDRAM (also on CPU side)
  3. Flash ROM
  4. Expansion connector mounting terminal (connector not implemented)
  5. I/O connector mounting terminal (connector not implemented)
  6. SD card slot
  7. A/D converter
  8. RS-232C level converter

 

We have loaded the following devices and peripheral interfaces onto the CPU board.

Moreover, the CPU board can also be utilized by mounting it on a development bench, in the same manner as other T-Engine and µT-Engine development kits. We show in Fig. 3 its appearance mounted on the development bench.

Figure 3. Teaboard/ARM920-MX1 mounted on a development bench

Function Specification

We show in Table 1 the detailed function specification. Also, in Fig. 4, we show the system configuration diagram.

Table 1 Function Specification
Item Specification
CPU MC9328MX1 (ARM920T core, 200 MHz)
Flash ROM 2 megabytes (MB29LV160TE)
SDRAM 16 megabytes (MT48LC4M16A2TG-75 [Mictron] x 2)
Ethernet LAN91C111 100/10Base-T 1 ch
Serial 2 ch (MC9328MX1 built-in UART) RS-232C
General-purpose switches 8-bit (4-bit DIP SW, 4-bit toggle switch)
General-purpose LED 8-bit
7-segment LED 2 figures
SD card socket 1 slot (MC9328MX1 built-in controller)
Connector: 14-5638-009-511-862 (Kyocera Elco)
Buzzer Piezoelectric (MEB-12C5)
Temperature sensor LM61 (National Semiconductor)
8-Bit A/D converter 1 ch EIM connection ADC08061
8-Bit D/A converter 1 ch EIM connection AD7801
USB function 1 ch (Full speed, MC9328MX1 built-in controller)
I/O connector Connector: PS-60PE-D4T1-B1E (JAE) unmounted
Expansion bus connector Connector: PS-60PE-D4T1-B1E (JAE) unmounted
JTAG interface Connector: 146134-9 (AMP)
CPLD write connector Connector: 87832-1420 (Molex)

Figure 4. System configuration diagram

CPU

The CPU is the MC9328MX1 (DragonBall i.MX1) equipped with the ARMv5 core (ARM920T).

Figure 5. MC9328MX1 block diagram
(taken from the MC9328MX1 Reference Manual)

We show in Table 2 the MC9328MX1 specification, and in Fig. 5 its function block diagram.

Table 2 MC9328MX1 Specification
CPU core ARM920T (max. 200 MHz)
Process 0.18 µm
Instruction cache 16 kilobyte
Data cache 16 kilobyte
Built-in SRAM 128 kilobyte
DMA 11 ch
UART 2 ch
Timer 2 ch
WatchDog 1 ch
RTC 1 ch
PWM 1 ch
SSI/I2S 1 ch
I2C 1 ch
Camera I/F Exists
USB USB1.1 Device
MMC/SD controller 1 ch
Memory Stick controller 1 ch
PCMCIA controller None
SIM card I/F 1
SPI 2 ch
IrDA v1.0 supportable with UART
A/D converter Exists
LCD controller RGB 16bit/STN, CSTN, TFT
Bluetooth Support with Bluetooth accelerator
Multimedia accelerator Exists
SDRAM support Exists
NOR Flash support Exists
Sym Flash support Exists
M-system NAND Flash support Exists
GPIO 110 ch
Core voltage 1.8 ~ 2.0 V
I/O voltage 1.7 ~ 2.0V, 2.7 ~ 3.3V
Package 14 x 14 mm, 256-pin, MAPBGA

The MC9328MX1is the first product in the i.MX application processor family. An i.MX application processor is one in which peripheral modules have been integrated to a high degree around the ARM core. Employing outstanding power management technology, it is suited to developing multimedia devices with outstanding cost performance. In particular, the MC9328MX1 is equipped with a multimedia accelerator (MMA), and thus high performance and low power consumption coexist with each other.

Furthermore, as for the CPU hardware performance, operation at a maximum of 200 MHz is possible, but in the case of Teaboard, from the influence of providing a common clock to the USB function, the CPU will run at a clock speed of 192 MHz. At this time, the memory bus operation clock becomes 96 MHz.

SDRAM

As for the main memory, we have implemented two 64-megabit SDRAMs. The SDRAMs are controlled by a controller built into the MC9328MX1. Memory capacity is 16 megabytes, which is connected via a 32-bit wide bus. The CAS latency becomes two clocks when the bus is at 100 MHz.

Flash ROM

We have implemented one Flash memory of 16 megabits. Memory capacity is 2 megabytes, which is connected via a 16-bit wide bus. The access time is 90 nanoseconds.

Ethernet

The Ethernet controller is 10/100Base-TX compatible, and it is connected to the local bus (EIM). We are using the LAN91C111 (SMSC) for the controller.

D/A Converter

An 8-bit parallel D/A converter is connected to the local bus (EIM). The analog output of the D/A converter is connected to the I/O connector.

A/D Converter

An 8-bit parallel A/D converter is connected to the local bus (EIM). The analog input of the A/D converter is connected to the I/O connector.

LEDs

Two 7-segment LEDs and an 8-part chip LED are together connected to the local bus (EIM).

Temperature Sensor

A temperature sensor is connected to the U channel of the Analog Signal Processor (ASP) module built into the MC9328MX1. A National Semiconductor LM61 is sued for the temperature sensor.

General-Purpose Switches

A push switch, a toggle switch, and a DIP switch are connected together to the GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) port of the MX9328MX1. In a case where the GPIO has been set to input, because it can also be made an interrupt source, the push switch can also be used as is as a switch for interrupt test use.

Expansion Bus Connector

For external expansion use, the MC9328MX1 local bus (EIM) is signal connected. We show in Table 3 the pin arrangement of the expansion bus connector.

Table 3 Expansion Bus Connector Pin Arrangement

No.

Signal Name

Input/Output

No.

Signal Name

Input/Output

1
GND

-

2
GND

-

3
D14

in/out

4
D15

in/out

5
D12

in/out

6
D13

in/out

7
D10

in/out

8
D11

in/out

9
D8

in/out

10
D9

in/out

11
GND

-

12
D7

in/out

13
D6

in/out

14
D5

in/out

15
D4

in/out

16
D3

in/out

17
D2

in/out

18
D1

in/out

19
D0

in/out

20
GND

-

21
EB3

out

22
EB2

out

23
OEB

out

24
RWB

out

25
GND

-

26
CS4B

out

27
CS3B

out

28
EXT_INT1

in

29
EXT_INT0

in

30
GND

-

31
CLK0

out

32
GND

-

33
A23

out

34
A22

out

35
A21

out

36
A20

out

37
A19

out

38
A18

out

39
A17

out

40
A16

out

41
GND

-

42
A15

out

43
A14

out

44
A13

out

45
A12

out

46
A11

out

47
A10

out

48
A9

out

49
A8

out

50
GND

-

51
A7

out

52
A6

out

53
A5

out

54
A4

out

55
A3

out

56
A2

out

57
A1

out

58
A0

out

59
VIN

-

60
VIN

-

We use the general-purpose PS-60PE-D4T1-B1E (JAE) for the expansion bus connector (connector not implemented).

I/O Connector

By using an I/O connector, we can utilize the following among the various types of control functions built into the CPU.

These signals can also be utilized as GPIO signals. Moreover, A/D converter input and D/A converter output are also connected to the I/O connector.

We show in Table 4 the pin arrangement of the I/O connector.

Table 4 I/O Connector Pin Arrangement

No.

Signal Name

Input/Output

No.

Signal Name

Input/Output

1
AGND

-

2
ANALOG OUT

out

3
ANALOG IN

in

4
GND

-

5
PC17/SPI1_MOSI

in/out

6
PC16/SPI1_MISO

in/out

7
PC14/SPI1_SCLK

in/out

8
PC15/SPI1_SS

in/out

9
PB14/SIM_SVEN/SSI_RFXS

in/out

10
PB15/SIM_PD/SSI_RXCLK

in/out

11
PB16/SIM_TX/SSI_RXDAT

in/out

12
PB17/SIM_RX/SSI_TXDAT

in/out

13
PB18/SIM_RST/SSI_TXFS

in/out

14
PB19/SIM_CLK/SSI_TXCLK

in/out

15
GND

-

16
PA16/12C_SCL

in/out

17
PA15/12C_SDA

in/out

18
PA14/CSI_PIXCLK

in/out

19
PA13/CSI_HSYNC

in/out

20
PA12/CSI_VSYNC

in/out

21
PA11/CSI_D7

in/out

22
PA10/CSI_D6

in/out

23
PA9/CSI_D5

in/out

24
PA8/CSI_D4

in/out

25
PA7/CSI_D3

in/out

26
PA6/CSI_D2

in/out

27
PA5/CSI_D1

in/out

28
PA4/CSI_D0

in/out

29
PA3/CSI_MCLK

in/out

30
PA1/TIN

in/out

31
PA2/PWM0

in/out

32
GND

-

33
PD30/LD15

in/out

34
PD29/LD14

in/out

35
PD28/LD13

in/out

36
PD27/LD12

in/out

37
PD26/LD11

in/out

38
PD25/LD10

in/out

39
PD24/LD9

in/out

40
PD23/LD8

in/out

41
PD22/LD7

in/out

42
PD21/LD6

in/out

43
PD20/LD5

in/out

44
PD19/LD4

in/out

45
PD18/LD3

in/out

46
PD17/LD2

in/out

47
PD16/LD1

in/out

48
PD15/LD0

in/out

49
GND

-

50
PD14/VSYNC

in/out

51
PD13/HSYNC

in/out

52
PD12/ACD_0E

in/out

53
PD11/CONTRAST

in/out

54
PD10/SPI_SPR/SPI2_TXD

in/out

55
PD9/PS/SPI2_RXD

in/out

56
PD8/CLS/SPI2_SSB

in/out

57
PD7/REV/SPI2_CLK

in/out

58
PD6/LSCLK

in/out

59
GND

-

60
VIN

-

We use the general-purpose PS-60PE-D4T1-B1E (JAE) for the I/O connector (connector not implemented), which is the same as for the expansion bus connector .

SD Card

An SD card socket has been implemented on the rear side of the circuit board. The SD card controller signal of the MC9328MX1 is connected to the connector. A portion of the signals are connected to the GPIO.

Serial RS-232C

A 2-channel RS-232C interface (9-pin/male) has been implemented on the CPU side of the circuit board. The UART built into the MC9328MX1 is connected via the level converter to the RS-232C interface.

Buzzer

A piezoelectric buzzer has been implemented on the CPU side of the circuit board. The MEB-12C5 (small size/oscillating circuits built in) is used for the piezoelectric buzzer. The piezoelectric buzzer is connected via a driver to the GPIO of the MC9328MX1.

USB Function

On the CPU side of the circuit board, a USB TYPE-B terminal is implemented, and thus it is possible to use Teaboard as a USB 1.1 Full Speed (12 Mbps) USB device. The USB function controller of the MC9328MX1 is connected to the USB TYPE-B terminal.

Moreover, it is also possible to provide the board's 5V power supply from the USB TYPE-B terminal.

Power Supply Provision

Teaboard operates on a single power source of 5V ± 5%. Consumption of the 5V power supply current is 350mA/1.75W ~ 400mA/2W (state with the buzzer ON, LEDs completely lit), and power supply provision from the USB cable is kept to the so-called USB bus power permitted value (500 mA). It is possible to utilize either a USB TYPE-B connector or a DC jack to provide the power supply.

The 5V power supply that is provided is output to the buzzer, A/D converter, expansion connector, and I/O connector. Moreover, from the 5V power supply, the SW regulator generates 3.3V, which is supplied to the MC9328MX1, SDRAM, Flash ROM, CPLD, Ethernet controller, logic IC, temperature sensor, RS-232C level converter, and the D/A converter. By means of the 3-terminal regulator 1.8V for use by the CPLD and MC9328MX1 are generated from the 3.3V.

Figure 6. Memory map

Memory Map

We show in Fig. 6 the organization of the memory map.

Expansion Board

We are planning to put on sale an expansion board as an option product for Teaboard/ARM920-MX1. We show in Fig. 7 the appearance of the expansion board.

Figure 7. Expansion board

The expansion board is connected to Teaboard through the expansion bus connector and the I/O connector, and thus it is possible to add to Teaboard an LCD interface, a touch panel interface, microphone input, speaker output, USB host, and eTRON chip interface functions. Moreover, through the LCD interface on the expansion board and touch panel interface, you can mount a touch panel LCD board and the same LCD board that is utilized on Standard T-Engine.

Summary

Teaboard/ARM920-MX1 is a highly functional embedded control board computer that is equipped with a number of distinctive I/O interfaces and a 10/100Base-T network function, and which, moreover, can as is put to practical use the results of the T-Engine project, such as T-Kernel and T-Kernel Extension. Furthermore, we would also like it utilized as an easy-to-purchase education and practice board matched to the education of modern embedded engineers. By using Teaboard, we would by all means like you to get a real feeling for the world of T-Kernel, which is a next generation standard real-time OS for embedded devices.

____________________

[Note 1] In this article we are explaining the latest information on Teaboard, which at the time the article was written is a product in development. Because there may also be cases where a portion of the specifications and so on are modified in the product that is finally put on sale, please be understanding beforehand. Please confirm the latest information at the time you purchase Teaboard.


The above article on Teaboard appeared on pages 29-35 in Vol. 95 of TRONWARE. It was translated and loaded onto this Web page with the permission of Personal Media Corporation.

Copyright © 2005 Personal Media Corporation

Copyright © 2008 Sakamura Laboratory, University Museum, University of Tokyo