Today, hundreds of different microcontroller integrated circuits are available in the market. Counting all the variants of those ICs, there are literally thousands of MCUs to choose from. So what features of the SX make it stand out from the crowded market? The following are the features that I think make the SX series of microcontrollers valuable to have in my tool box.
- Fast, general purpose micro
- Programming language options
- Great support and examples
Let’s review this list in more detail.
Fast, general purpose micro: The SX can be operated at speeds up to 80 MHz. This means that the SX can capture very fast events and perform many processing tasks. Another feature of the SX is that there are no peripherals on-board the IC. Nope - no specific hardware/registers for ADC, I2C, SPI, serial port, PWM, etc. You think this is a draw back? Think again! The speed of the SX allows you to create virtual peripherals (software is doing all the processing instead of hardware) so that the chip can do exactly what you want it to do, on the pins you want. In addition there are no variants or odd part numbering schemes. Have you ever discovered that the MCU you were using was discontinued? If so then you remember the pain of looking for a suitable substitution chip and maybe having to change the design or software to work with the new IC. As you can see on the Parallax web site, there are only four SX chips.
Programming language options: You can program the SX in three different languages. One is SX/B distributed by Parallax. SX/B is a BASIC programming language and because BASIC programming knowledge is widespread and easy to learn, it makes the perfect language for those who currently use the Basic Stamp or similar microcontrollers, or is just getting started in learning electronics. Another language option is a C compiler sold by CCS. And of course the SX can be programmed in assembly language, also known as ASM or SASM. Because all three major embedded programming languages are available for the SX, this MCU appeals to newcomers to electronics, students, engineers and those that have years of experience.
Great support and examples: Before Parallax took over the SX microcontroller line from Ubicom, there were good web sites offering example code and applications with the SX such as SXList.com. Since Parallax took over distribution of the SX, there are even more examples, support and an active forum for asking questions and getting help. In addition there are several books that can be downloaded for free from Parallax.
This is my list of features I like in the SX. What features do you like? In a later post I will discuss the applications in which the SX works well and those in which is doesn’t work so well. After all the SX is not the end all of microcontrollers as different projects have different constraints, but the SX is general purpose, easy to use and should be in your tool box.
