VG-230, System-On-A-Chip Device

The VG-230 is a one-chip PC platform which provides a highly battery-efficient basis for OEMs to develop cost sensitive, DOS-based personal electronic products.   The chip contains all standard XT peripherals, additional high-value peripherals and an ISA bus.   For long battery life, the VG230 offers extensive and proven power management capability.   In addition to a +5V version, a version is offered which operates at +3V.

The VG-230 contains the 8086-compatible 16 MHz NEC V30HL processor.   It also embodies a standard XT architecture combined with hardware and software features facilitating the rapid design of products with extensive ROM-based software.   PC Card mass storage and miniature peripherals (I/O cards) following the PCMCIA 2.1 (JEIDA 4.1) standard are supported.   The VG230 is packaged in a single 160-pin CMOS chip and handles all PC functions including 16-bit CPU, XT core logic, LCD controller, keyboard scanner and PC Card controller.   All that is required for a basic system is the VG230, memory, power supply, display and associated packaging.

Product Overview

• Single-chip permits glueless implementation of a fully compatible PC-XT.
• Standard-design 16-bit, 16 MHz NEC V30HL processor core integrated on-chip.
• Complete hardware and firmware support for memory-saving “execute-in-place” ROM applications.
• Field-proven, industry standard power management based on activity monitoring lengthens battery life.
• Scans up to 101 keys without an external keyboard controller.
• Integrated CGA LCD controller and 640x400 AT&T standard controller. Supports a wide variety of panel resolutions from below CGA to 400-line displays.
• LCD controller supports hardware “ink plane” for pen-based applications.
• Dual PCMCIA 2.1 (JEIDA 4.1) PC Card slot support allowing “hot” insertion/removal (with external buffers).
• Integrated serial port, real-time clock, programmable interrupt controller, DMA controller and internal timer.
• Deactivating keyboard scan enables a second PCMCIA card slot, a bi-directional parallel. port and a standard XT keyboard interface.
• Support for DRAM, SRAM and PSRAM memory.
• Supports up to eight 8-bit RAM banks and up to six 16-bit RAM banks.
• ICE support simplifies debugging of system designs.
• 8250 compatible UART.
• XT keyboard interface.
• EMS 4.0 compatible memory subsystem, supports up to 64Mbytes.

Lead-Free version of VG-230 is available now.   It is a Pin Compatible and Functional Equivalent to VG-230.   It has the same silicon die as in VG-230.   The only difference is the package material composition for the package used. Lead-content and other non-friendly environmental substances are completely removed from the package materials.   Because of the material differences, solder reflow profile for VG-230-LF is slightly different from VG-230.   The VG-230-LF is fully compliant to RoHS environmental standards.

Ordering Part Numbers:

• Standard or Leaded Version:

• Lead-Free (RoHS compliant) Version:

To VG-230 Support Page,