Motorola 68HC11 Evaluation Module

[Vin113]

The Motorola 68HC11 Evaluation Module is historically notable as a widely used 8-bit microcontroller platform introduced in 1984, descendant from the Motorola 6800, with built-in RAM, ROM, multiple UARTs, timers, and an ADC, making it a self-contained computer on a chip. Its claim to fame in vintage computing and university settings lies in its comprehensive integration of peripherals that simplified microcontroller education and embedded systems development, allowing students to easily learn fundamental computing and control concepts without building circuits from discrete components. The 68HC11 was popular for engineering education due to its practical hardware features and extensive use in automotive and industrial applications, making it a key teaching tool in microprocessor and embedded system courses throughout the late 1980’s to 1990’s.

Manufacturer: Motorola
Type: Microcontroller
Release Date: 1984
Cost at release: USD $250 (CAD ~$850 adjusted for inflation)
MIPS: 0.2 (200 KIPS)

Hardware Specifications

CPU: 8-bit microcontroller with integrated CPU.
Memory: On-chip RAM, ROM, EPROM, and EEPROM options (various sizes depending on the specific CPU variant).
Peripheral Interfaces: Serial communication interfaces (SCI and SPI), 8-channels 8-bit ADC, timers, pulse accumulator, and watchdog system.
I/O Pins: 38 general-purpose pins (16 bidirectional, 11 input-only, 11 output-only).
Operating Frequency: Up to 3 MHz (clock speed varies according to specific model).
Power Supply: Low-voltage operation, typically around 5V.

Operating System & Programming Languages

Operating System: The Motorola 68HC11 microcontroller did not have a built-in operating system in the modern sense but was typically programmed to run simple embedded firmware or monitor programs like the Buffalo Monitor operating system, which provided basic control and debugging functions.
Supported Languages:
- Assembly language specifically for the 68HC11 instruction set, which was the most common.
- High-level languages such as C were also supported via cross-compilers designed for embedded systems programming.
- Other tools and assemblers existed to support development under UNIX, Windows, and other host systems.

Notables

Known as the “HC11” or simply “6811,” it was introduced in 1984 and was one of the first microcontrollers to integrate RAM, ROM, timers, ADC, and serial interfaces on-chip.
It was the first microcontroller to include CMOS EEPROM, allowing for electrically erasable and reprogrammable memory.
The 68HC11’s instruction set was backward compatible with the Motorola 6800, but featured extended 16-bit arithmetic and bit manipulation instructions, making it powerful for an 8-bit MCU.
It gained fame for its widespread use in automotive electronics, barcode readers, hotel key card systems, and early robotics.
Nicknamed “It’s nowhere, it’s nowhere!” humorously reflecting its elusive presence compared to other mainstream processors.
Its development kits and evaluation modules were popular teaching tools in universities for embedded systems courses during the 1980s and 1990s.
Motorola once suggested a list price of $68.11 for its evaluation kit as a marketing gimmick.
Early advertisements and packaging emphasized its versatility as a “computer on a chip” with embedded peripherals for real-time control.
The 68HC11 established a benchmark for future embedded microcontrollers with its integrated feature set and balanced performance.

Donated by: Arlen Michaels