I need to choose a MCU for something I am designing, but I am unsure of what to use.

My input to the MCU is going to be asynchronous data, in 14 bit words. My output from the MCU is going to be serial data in 224 bit words [24 bytes] along with a clock. So, the input doesn't need a clock [I only need to tell the MCU the Baud rate], but the component after the MCU that takes the MCU's output needs a clock along with the 24 byte packets to handle the transfers. This much I know. I hope that I have chosen the correct order in designing my digital system [that is, choose what you want at the beginning, and choose what you want the end goal to be...THEN find an MCU that can do what you need it to].

I am new to designing anything with digital parts, and I am having a hard time choosing a microprocessor that can take in asynchronous data in 14 bits, and output synchronous data with a 24-byte length. It's not so much that I can't choose an MCU, but that I just don't know what different MCU's can handle as input and output. If an MCU datasheet says it can do serial I/O, does this mean it can also do asynchronous serial input and synchronous serial output [can it mix and match]? It could be that there are many microprocessors that are capable of what I am looking for, but I just don't know where to start. Could anybody please help me with this?

Thanks.

 

What's it for?

 

It takes data from a sensor and outputs it to an LED driver in a manner that allows a the driver to output LED sequences corresponding to the magnitude of the input to the sensor. It's the same concept as a VU meter.

 

you can try on PIC18F452..by the C program you can choose whether to have an asynchronous mood or synchronous..gud luck

 

Go to Microchip web site. They make the PIC series of microcontrollers. Check out their literature, especially the MPLAB-IDE. I ordered their PicKit3 programmer/debugger and paid about 80 dollars including the postage. It was one of the smartest, or luckiest things I've ever done. It took a lot of study to get started, but I'll tell you, this is powerful stuff and totally professional.

I'm currently using the PIC18f452 to make an EEPROM programmer and writing the code in C. Microchip also has a very large forum.

 

Thanks for the help =]

 

Take a look at the Silicon Labs 8051 (http://www.silabs.com).

 

If there's a processor that can accept 14-bit serial data, it's news to me. But creating a software-based UART to deal with it shouldn't be a problem. My current favorite processor is the PIC16F690, and I'd be fairly confident of doing the job with that. It does have a built-in SPI port, so the output side would be easy.

 

I like the Parallax Propeller, its an 8 core 32 bit Processor for $8 from mouser. With a 5mhz crystal it runs at 80Mhz and its well supported on thier forums. Languages include Spin the native language, Prop Assembly, Catalina C, PropBasic and a few others. I have not run into an application I could not handle with this chip and the price is right.