Description

The ST16C2550 (C2550) is a dual universal asynchronous receiver and transmitter (UART) designed for various applications. It is an improved version of the PC16550 UART with higher operating speed and faster access times. The C2550 provides enhanced UART functions with 16 byte FIFO's, a modem control interface, and data rates up to 4 Mbps. It features onboard status registers that provide error indications and operational status. The baud rate generators can be programmed to select transmit and receive clock rates from 50 bps to 4 Mbps. The C2550 is available in 44-pin PLCC and 48-pin TQFP packages and can operate from 2.97 volts to 5.5 volts power supply.

Specifications and features

Some of the key features and specifications of the ST16C2550 (C2550) include:

• 5 Volt Tolerant Inputs
• Pin-to-pin compatibility with Exar's ST16C2450, XR16L2550, XR16L2750, and TI's TL16C752B on the 48-TQFP package
• Pin compatibility with XR16C2850 48-TQFP package
• 2 independent UART channels
• Up to 4 Mbps with external clock of 64 MHz
• Up to 1.5 Mbps data rate with a 24 MHz crystal frequency
• 16 byte Transmit FIFO to reduce the bandwidth requirement of the external CPU
• 16 byte Receive FIFO with error tags to reduce the bandwidth requirement of the external CPU
• 4 selectable Receive FIFO interrupt trigger levels
• Modem control signals (CTS#, RTS#, DSR#, DTR#, RI#, CD#)
• Programmable character lengths (5, 6, 7, 8) with even, odd, or no parity
• Crystal oscillator or external clock input
• 48-TQFP and 44-PLCC packages

Application Scenarios

The ST16C2550 (C2550) is suitable for a wide range of applications, including:

• Portable Appliances
• Telecommunication Network Routers
• Ethernet Network Routers
• Cellular Data Devices
• Factory Automation and Process Controls