D68HC11E

D68HC11E Microcontroller IP Core

Fully Compatible 68HC11E Soft MCU for Modern SoC Integration

The D68HC11E is a fully synthesizable 8-bit soft microcontroller IP Core, designed as a drop-in replacement for the Motorola 68HC11E family. It maintains full binary and functional compatibility with 68HC11E, as well as legacy 68HC11A and 68HC11D microcontrollers, enabling seamless migration of existing hardware and software designs into modern System-on-Chip (SoC) implementations.

Integrated Peripherals and System Control

In its standard configuration, the D68HC11E integrates all major peripheral functions on-chip. It includes an asynchronous Serial Communications Interface (SCI) and a dedicated Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), supporting reliable communication in embedded and industrial systems.

A 16-bit free-running timer system provides input capture, output compare channels, and real-time interrupt functionality. Additionally, an 8-bit pulse accumulator subsystem enables accurate counting of external events or precise measurement of external signal periods.

Reliability, Safety, and Low-Power Operation

The D68HC11E incorporates built-in self-monitoring and protection mechanisms to ensure robust system operation. A Computer Operating Properly (COP) watchdog safeguards against software failures, while illegal opcode detection triggers a non-maskable interrupt to protect against unexpected execution errors.

For power-sensitive applications, the core offers two software-controlled low-power modes—WAIT and STOP—making it especially suitable for automotive electronics, battery-powered systems, and energy-efficient embedded designs.

Optional ADC Support and Full Customization

The D68HC11E can be equipped with an ADC Controller, enabling seamless use of external ADC hardware with standard 68HC11 ADC software. External ADCs appear as internal peripherals, preserving full software compatibility with original 68HC11E microcontrollers.

The IP Core is fully customizable and delivered in an exact configuration tailored to project requirements. This approach eliminates unnecessary features, reduces silicon area, and avoids paying for unused functionality.

Verification and Advanced Debugging

To simplify SoC integration and validation, the D68HC11E is delivered with a fully automated test bench and a comprehensive verification suite, supporting validation at every stage of the design flow.

Each D68HC11E Core includes built-in support for DoCD™, DCD’s advanced real-time hardware debugging system. DoCD™ enables non-intrusive debugging of a running application, allowing developers to halt, run, step through code, and read or write all system resources—including registers, SFRs, program memory, data memory, and user-defined peripherals—across the entire SoC.

Typical Applications

• Automotive control systems

• Battery-powered embedded devices

• Industrial automation and control

• Legacy 68HC11 system migration to SoC

D68HC11E vs Classic 68HC11 – IP Core Comparison

While the original Motorola 68HC11 microcontrollers defined an industry standard for automotive and industrial control, modern SoC designs demand higher flexibility, easier integration, and advanced debug capabilities. The DCD-SEMI D68HC11E IP Core preserves full compatibility while removing the limitations of legacy silicon.

Key Advantage:
The D68HC11E allows engineers to reuse proven 68HC11 software and know-how, while gaining SoC scalability, lower power consumption, reduced silicon cost, and professional-grade debugging—none of which are possible with legacy discrete MCUs.

Why Choose D68HC11E Instead of ARM Cortex-M?

ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers dominate new designs—but they are not always the best choice, especially when legacy software, deterministic behavior, or long product lifecycles matter.

When D68HC11E Is the Better Choice

✔ Zero Software Migration Risk
D68HC11E is fully compatible with existing 68HC11 codebases. No recompilation, no revalidation, no functional regressions—critical for safety-related and long-lifecycle products.

✔ Predictable, Deterministic Execution
Unlike Cortex-M systems with complex pipelines, caches, and bus matrices, the 68HC11 architecture delivers fully deterministic timing, ideal for real-time control and automotive logic.

✔ Smaller, Leaner Silicon Footprint
Cortex-M cores often include unused features (NVIC, SysTick, MPU). D68HC11E is configured exactly to your needs, minimizing area and power.

✔ No Vendor Lock-In
ARM cores require licenses, toolchains, and ecosystem dependencies. D68HC11E is a license-clear, fully controllable IP, ideal for proprietary and long-term industrial designs.

✔ Superior SoC Debug Visibility
With DoCD™, D68HC11E provides non-intrusive, full-system debugging, including custom peripherals—capabilities often limited or intrusive in Cortex-M implementations.

Ideal Use Cases vs Cortex-M

• Automotive body electronics

• Industrial controllers with certified software

• Battery-powered embedded systems

• Legacy MCU replacement inside modern SoCs

ALL DCD’S IP CORES ARE TECHNOLOGY AGNOSTIC, ENSURING 100% COMPATIBILITY WITH ALL FPGA AND ASIC VENDORS.

For further details, email info@dcd-semi.com

• Cycle compatible with original implementation
• Software compatible with 68HC11 industry standard
• I/O Wrapper making it pin-compatible core
• SFR registers remapped to any 4KB memory page
• Two power saving modes: STOP, WAIT
• Fully synthesizable
• Static synchronous design
• No internal tri-states
• Scan test ready
• USB, Ethernet, I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, LIN, HDLC, Smart Card interfaces available