Western Design Center
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Western Design Center (WDC), located in Mesa, Arizona, USA, is a company developing and manufacturing MOS 65xx-based microprocessors, microcontrollers (µCs), and related support chips. WDC was founded in 1978 by co-holder of the MOS Technology 6502 patent, Bill Mensch, himself a former MOS employee.
In addition to the actual microchips, WDC offers chips designs in the form of IP cores to be used inside other chips (like ASICs), and provides ASIC and embedded systems consulting services revolving around their processor designs. WDC also makes C compilers, assembler/linker packages, simulators, development/evaluation boards, and in-circuit emulators for their processors.
[edit] Hardware products
[edit] Microchips
| Name | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| W65C02S | 8-bit CPU | Bug-fixed CMOS version of the originally NMOS-based 6502 |
| W65C134S | 8-bit µC | Microcontroller with W65C02S CPU core |
| W65C21S | I/O chip | Compatible with the 6520 Peripheral Interface Adapter (PIA) |
| W65C22S | I/O chip | Compatible with the 6522 Versatile Interface Adapter (VIA) |
| W65C51S | I/O chip | Serial comms chip compatible with the 6551 Asynchronous Communications Interface Adapter (ACIA) |
| W65C816S | 16-bit CPU | 16-bit compatible follow-up to the W65C02; 24-bit address bus |
| W65C802S | 16-bit CPU | 65816 version with 16-bit address bus; pin-compatible drop-in replacement for 6502 |
| W65C265S | 16-bit µC | Microcontroller with W65C816S CPU core |
- In early development as of 2005 is the W65T32 Terbium, a 32-bit compatible follow-up to the W65C816. The Terbium, named after the element, has a 32-bit address bus, a 16-bit data bus, and a variable length instruction set.
[edit] Other
- The Mensch Computer – A W65C265 and W65C22-based hobbyist experiment computer named after company founder Bill Mensch.
