Harold M Hallikainen wrote:
>
>         A project I've been considering a PIC for is just getting too
> big.  I wonder about the availability of a simple to interface 386 or 486
> chip for embedded systems?  I'm thinking of hanging a static RAM chip, an
> EPROM and some other I/O on it (kinda like the ISA bus).  Any low cost
> simple chips for something like this?  Years ago I did a system with the
> 6802.  It was real simple, but is kinda obsolete now and suffers from a
> limited memory map.  The hardware interface was nice, though.
>
> Harold
>
> _____________________________________________________________________
> You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
> Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
> Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

Has anyone tried the new Atmel MegaAVR- it sounds pretty cool, and
should be less of a quantum leap than going to a microprocessor for
overgrown microcontroller projects like this.
Its specs include: 128KB of in circuit programmable flash program ROM;
4KB of SRAM; 4KB of EEPROM; 10 bit 8 channel A-D; watchdog timer; lots
of timers/counters; 32 registers; 48 programmable IO pins; 16 bit fixed
length instructions (121 of them, optimised for high level languages);
full duplex UART; 1 instruction per clock cycle; can address 64KB of
external data memory; housed in a 64 pin TQFP; etc. I haven't used one
myself though,  and don't have any idea of cost or availability yet.

--
--------------- Linux- the choice of a GNU generation. --------------
: Alex Holden (M1CJD)- Caver, Programmer, Land Rover nut, Radio Ham :
---------- http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/1532/ ---------