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The Prototyping System is based on a 5.1 inch by 4.4 inch main printed circuit
board to which expansion modules
can be connected. It can also be plugged in to other
boards if a large prototyping/expansion area is needed. The main board
provides the essential
features of a Z8 Encore! system:
These features are futher described in Main Board Technical Details, below and complete information with parts lists, ordering information, build options and more technical detail is given on separate pages.
ECROS Technology's Prototyping System for the ZiLOG Z8 Encore! has many build options. This makes the product very flexible, but also makes it difficult to give a definitive parts list. Parts lists for selected build options recommended by ECROS Technology are given in the complete descriptions of the various aspects of the system. Click the link buttons below to read them.
If the board is to be assembled in a Serpac enclosure, it is necessary to drill out holes HC to clear the bosses that hold the enclosure together. If you want ECROS Technology to do this for you, select "Yes" in "Drill HC" above. If not drilled out, the holes are 0.128 in. with 0.25 in. pads and can be used for general mounting.
The Z8 Encore! Prototyping System Main Board is no longer available due to lack of demand. These pages are maintained for existing users.
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Click
button to view schematic (power supply shown separately)){kind=small}
Click
button to view printed circuit board layout
Click
button for larger photographs of the main board (JPEG, about 60 kbytes)
Note: When describing the position of items on the board, it is assumed to be viewed as shown in the photographs.
The microcontroller (MCU) on the main board is inserted in a 68 pin PLCC (plastic leaded chip carrier) socket. The socket is through-hole and so can be assembled to the board as easily as a DIP socket. The MCU can be removed and replaced, for example with Z8 Encore! devices with less memory. The device supplied has 64 Kbytes of Flash ROM and 4 Kbytes of register file (RAM).
Complete
information on Z8 Encore!, support circuits and kit of parts
An 18.432 MHz crystal oscillator circuit is provided on the main board. Other crystals can also be used or the Z8F642x RC oscillator mode can be used instead. For complete information, click the button above.
A debug header is provided on the main board. It is compatible with ZiLOG tools, including the Target Interface Module and Smart Cable. For complete information, click the button above.
The Prototyping System distributes power at 3.3 volts and 5 volts. Linear regulators on the main board allow the following power sources to be used:
Various build options allow for different current capabilities. Additional regulators can be placed in the user areas to supplement the on-board regulators or to create other regulated voltages (subject, of course, to available input power).
Complete
information on Power Supply options and kit of parts
The Z8 Encore! microcontroller has two UARTs suitable for serial communication using the following data transmission standards:
It is not practical or economic to provide built-in support for all methods of serial communication you might choose. Therefore the main board supports the simplest interface, EIA-232-D, and includes a special prototyping area for other interfaces. One MAX232-type buffer is provided for the direct connection of serial devices such as the COM port of a PC. One EIA-232-D driver/receiver pair is connected to UART1 transmit and receive data at ports PD5 and PD4. The other pair are spare with easy access at marked test points. They can be used for UART0 or to add hardware flow control at UART1.
Complete
information on EIA-232-D Serial Interface options and kit of parts
There are three places for expansion connectors on the main board, each intended for a different purpose, though usable in many ways:
Complete
information on Expansion options and kit of parts
The main board contains approximately seven square inches of prototyping space filled with holes on a 0.1 inch pitch. The main prototyping space of five-and-a-half square inches is at the front of the board with excellent access to the main expansion connector. A secondary prototyping space of one-and-a-half square inches is close to the auxiliary expansion connector. If the display option package is fitted, the secondary space is covered up and tall components should not be placed here. It is suitable for serial interfaces and circuits to process signals to be passed over the auxiliary expansion connector. (For more details, see the board layout.)
The main board incorporates four mounting holes for the 4-line by 20-character LCD specified in the display option package. Compatible LCDs are available from many sources.
Four mounting holes are provided (marked HB on the silkscreen) for stacking the main board with expansion boards. These are located on a 0.1 inch grid for convenience when using general purpose prototyping boards.
The main board also includes mounting holes for fitting into Serpac S or SL series plastic enclosures with outside dimensions of 6.88 inches wide by 4.88 inches deep.
Information
about the Display Option PackageMore
information about compatible enclosures, prices and assembly instructions
The following defects have been noted on the main PCB:
None of these defects significantly compromise the utility of the board.
ZiLOG and Z8 Encore! are registered trademarks of ZiLOG, Inc.
Copyright © 2004, ECROS Technology, all rights reserved.
