1996-01-01 , IC-429

January, 1996 IC-429

Embedded Design Engineers Retain Investment in 8-Bit Code, Yet Gain Power and FLEXibility of New High Performance 16-Bit Philips XA Architecture

Eindhoven - January 1996 - The announcement today of a new BSO/Tasking software development toolkit for the Philips 80C51XA 16-bit microcontroller will allow design engineers to retain their investment in 8-bit 80C51 code, while leveraging the increased performance and processing speed of the new XA architecture, according to Philips and BSO/tasking executives.

"The BSO/Tasking XA tool kit will help our customers migrate to the more powerful 16-bit architecture", said David Fair, marketing manager for Philips Semiconductors Microcontroller Product Group. "The XA is optimized for multitasking, provides efficient programming in C and is the only 16-bit microcontroller available that is compatible with the 80C51. The result is a shorter time to market, reduced product development costs and higher code quality. Because of the XA's performance headroom designers also end up with a more FLEXible product with greater growth potential."

"When a developer decides he needs the high-performance of a 16-bit microcontroller then the search begins for software development tools that provide the necessary performance and features", said Vaughn Orchard, BSO/TASKING's US marketing manager. BSO/TASKING has development tools for all platforms, and a superior family of tools for the XA 16-bit architecture with a user interface that is familiar to 80C51 designers. The BSO/TASKING XA tool kit will include a compiler, assembler, linker/locator, and CrossView debugger integrated in BSO/TASKING's Embedded Development Environment, EDE=81.

BSO/TASKING XA tools will be available in Q3 1996. Pricing for individual products starts at $1200. All tools will be available on PC (DOS, Windows '95), Sun, HP9000/700, and Digital systems. All tools will be integrated into BSO/TASKING's EDE=81 for a seamless connection of products on the PC.

The total world microcontroller market exceeded $8 billion in 1994. The largest portion of the market consists of 8-bit devices, representing just over 50 percent ($4.4 billion), and growing at a rate close to 15 percent a year. Philips Semiconductors is the leading supplier of the most popular 8-bit architecture, the 80C51. It offers over 50 derivatives and, in 1994, In-Stat, an independent semiconductor research firm, reported sales of $280 million. With the introduction of the XA, Philips extends its 80C51 leadership into the 16-bit market.

Since pioneering the concept of cross development over 20 years ago, BSO/TASKING has been the industry leader in the development manufacturer and support of embedded software development tools for DOS, Windows, Unix and VMS programming environments. With 100+ employees, annual revenues in excess of $15 million, and a global distribution network in North America, Europe and Asia, BSO/TASKING is the leading supplier of software development tools for embedded microcontroller applications across industry standard platforms. Headquartered in Deham, Mass., BSO/TASKING has european headquarters in The Netherlands and offices in Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK.