The '754C is a quad universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) with 64-byte FIFOs, automatic hardware and software flow control, and data rates up to 3 Mbps. It incorporates the functionality of four UARTs, each UART having its own register set and FIFOs. The four UARTs share only the data bus interface and clock source, otherwise they operate independently. Another name for the UART function is Asynchronous Communications Element (ACE), and these terms are used interchangeably.
The '754C offers enhanced features. It has a transmission control register (TCR) that stores received FIFO threshold level to start or stop transmission during hardware and software flow control. With the FIFO RDY register, the software gets the status of TXRDY/RXRDY for all four ports in one access. Onchip status registers provide the user with error indications, operational status, and modem interface control. System interrupts may be tailored to meet user requirements. An internal loopback capability allows onboard diagnostics.
Each UART transmits data sent to it from the peripheral 8-bit bus on the TX signal and receives characters on the RX signal. Characters can be programmed to be 5, 6, 7, or 8 bits. The UART has a 64-byte receive FIFO and transmit FIFO and can be programmed to interrupt at different trigger levels. The UART generates its own desired baud rate based upon a programmable divisor and its input clock. It can transmit even, odd, or no parity and 1-, 1.5-, or 2-stop bits. The receiver can detect break, idle or framing errors, FIFO overflow, and parity errors. The transmitter can detect FIFO underflow. The UART also contains a software interface for modem control operations, and software flow control and hardware flow control capabilities.
The '754C is available in a 64-pin TQFP PM package.
The '754C UART is pin compatible with the TL16C754B and ST16C654 UARTs. It provides more enhanced features. All additional features are provided through a special enhanced feature register.
The UART performs serial-to-parallel conversion on data characters received from peripheral devices or modems and parallel-to-parallel conversion on data characters transmitted by the processor. The complete status of each channel of the '754C UART can be read at any time during functional operation by the processor.
The '754C UART can be placed in an alternate mode (FIFO mode) relieving the processor of excessive software overhead by buffering received and transmitted characters. Both the receiver and transmitter FIFOs can store up to 64 bytes (including three additional bits of error status per byte for the receiver FIFO) and have selectable or programmable trigger levels. Primary outputs RXRDY and TXRDY allow Signaling of DMA transfers.
The '754C UART has selectable hardware flow control and software flow control. Both schemes significantly reduce software overhead and increase system efficiency by automatically controlling serial data flow. Hardware flow control uses the RTS output and CTS input signals. Software flow control uses programmable Xon and Xoff characters.
The UART includes a programmable baud rate generator that can divide the timing reference clock input by a divisor between 1 and (2^16 - 1). The CLKSEL pin can be used to divide the input clock by 4 or by 1 to generate the reference clock during the reset.