page_title: Motorola 68000
section_title: 68EC000
hierarchical_section_title: Motorola 68000 / 68EC000
caption_attribution_description: English: CPU Motorola 68EC000 PLCC
context_page_description: The Motorola 68000 is a 16/32-bit CISC microprocessor, introduced in 1979 by Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector.
  The design implements a 32-bit instruction set, with 32-bit registers and a 32-bit internal data bus. The address bus is 24-bits and does not use memory segmentation, which made it popular with programmers. Internally, it uses a 16-bit data ALU and two additional 16-bit ALUs used mostly for addresses, and has a 16-bit external data bus. For this reason, Motorola referred to it as a 16/32-bit processor.
  As one of the first widely available processors with a 32-bit instruction set, and running at relatively high speeds for the era, the 68k was a popular design through the 1980s. It was widely used in a new generation of personal computers with graphical user interfaces, including the Apple Macintosh, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST and many others. It competed primarily against the Intel 8088, found in the IBM PC, which it easily outperformed. The 68k and 8088 pushed other designs, like the Zilog Z8000 and National Semiconductor 32016, into niche markets, and made Motorola a major player in the CPU space.
context_section_description: The 68EC000 is a low-cost version of the 68000 with a slightly different pinout, designed for embedded controller applications. The 68EC000 can have either a 8-bit or 16-bit data bus, switchable at reset.
  The processors are available in a variety of speeds including 8 and 16 MHz configurations, producing 2,100 and 4,376 Dhrystones each. These processors have no floating-point unit, and it is difficult to implement an FPU coprocessor (MC68881/2) with one because the EC series lacks necessary coprocessor instructions.
  The 68EC000 was used as a controller in many audio applications, including Ensoniq musical instruments and sound cards, where it was part of the MIDI synthesizer. On Ensoniq sound boards, the controller provided several advantages compared to competitors without a CPU on board. The processor allowed the board to be configured to perform various audio tasks, such as MPU-401 MIDI synthesis or MT-32 emulation, without the use of a TSR program. This improved software compatibility, lowered CPU usage, and eliminated host system memory usage.
  The Motorola 68EC000 core was later used in the m68k-based DragonBall processors from Motorola/Freescale.
  It also was used as a sound controller in the Sega Saturn game console and as a controller for the HP JetDirect Ethernet controller boards for the mid-1990s LaserJet printers.
caption: Motorola 68EC000 controller
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