Renesas Technology Corp. and MPC Data Ltd have introduced a uClinux-based board support package (BSP) and tool chain for the SH7203, a “high performance” Renesas microcontroller with built-in USB, graphics, and other system controllers. MPC's uClinux BSP “fully” supports the functions implemented on the SH7203's “RSK7203plus” development board, according to the companies.

Renesas, a supplier of microprocessors targeting automotive, mobile, digital consumer, industrial, and PC/AV markets, describes the SH7203 as a “high performance” microcontroller based on its SH-2 processor core. The chip clocks to 200MHz and incorporates a floating-point unit, USB 2.0 Host and Function interfaces, and a display controller for LCD panels up to WVGA (800 x 480) size. Other on-chip features are said to include a two-channel CAN fieldbus controller, an SSI (serial sound interface) for digital audio I/O, a serial communication interface, an I2C bus, an analog-to-digital converter, and a timer suitable for industrial applications.

Renesas SH7203 chip, board, and Linux mascot (Tux)
(Click to enlarge)
The RSK7203plus development board (pictured above) is based on the SH7203 microcontroller. In addition to the standard functions derived from the microcontroller, the development board provides 4MB of flash memory, 32MB of SDRAM, a 10/100Mbps Ethernet port, JTAG debug headers, plus two on-board displays: a QVGA (320 x 240 pixel) TFT LCD, and a 2-line alphanumeric LCD.

MPC says its uClinux BSP for the RSK7203plus development board is based on a 2.6.17 kernel. It also includes:

• Busybox 1.5.1
• Serial console support
• SMSC 9118 Ethernet support
• MTD (memory technology device) driver flash filesystem support
• USB 2 Host and Function support
• QVGA framebuffer support

uCLinux is a small-footprint variant of the Linux kernel targeting resource-constrained embedded applications, including those based on processors that lack an MMU (memory management unit). According to Renesas and MPC, the port of uClinux to the SH7203 allows developers to take advantage of the wealth of software available for Linux. Most applications can be directly compiled on uClinux, or can be made to work with only some minor porting or adaptation, the companies added.

The MPC uClinux BSP for the SH7203 “allows developers to target a wide variety of applications requiring connectivity, TFT-drive and hundreds of MIPS performance, as is often the case when industrial PC applications have to go to lower power, lower cost and less space,” the companies said in a statement.

Joachim Huepper, Consumer-Industrial Business Unit Marketing Manager at Renesas, said, “The combination of the RSK7203plus development board and the new uClinux BSP gives developer a good 'out of the box' experience when using the SH-2A family.”

Phil Buckley, MPC Data's Linux Embedded Business Group Director, added, “With the increasing popularity of Linux in embedded applications, and the increased performance of embedded microcontrollers, this highly stable, tested uClinux BSP gives SH-2A application developers a great starting platform to take forward Linux applications into product development and production.”

Availability

The RSK7203plus development board and MPC-developed uCLinux BSP are both available now, at MPC's SH Linux support website.

---

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.