Equipped with a single-cycle, 8051 RISC processor, the VERSA MIX VMX1020 microcontroller is said to deliver an average of eight times more processing power than a standard 8051 MCU. The new device integrates a hardware MAC unit coupled with a 32-bit barrel shifter capable of implementing both 16- and 32-bit DSP operations. The microcontroller also has on-chip analog peripherals, such as a 4-channel A/D converter, four PWM-based D/A converters, a voltage reference, and an uncommitted op amp. Other features include a 56 KB block of programmable flash, an I2C interface, two UARTs, a differential RS-485/RS-422 transceiver, and 1.28 KB of RAM. The SPI can be configured as either a master or slave interface and up to four devices can be addressed in master mode via four programmable chip enables. In addition, the MCU features a programmable current source that is calibrated to deliver 33 µA or 133 µA and comes in 64-, 52- and 44-pin QFPs. For additional information and prices, contact GOAL SEMICONDUCTOR, Quebec, Canada. (514) 871-2447.