NEC Electronics Launches Sales of 18 High Performance 8–bit Microcontroller Models with Lowest Standby Power Class in Industry
NEC Electronics has announced that it starts sample shipments of 18 new models of its 8-bit
microcontroller with built-in Flash memory ("all-Flash microcontroller"). These products are ideally suited to ancillary functions as sub-microcontrollers, such as controlling small battery-powered systems, managing power to reduce the standby power of home appliances and the like, and controlling key input. A total of 18 models have been released: 6 are 78K0/KB2-L models, with 30 external-connection pins, and 12 are 78K0/KC2-L models, with 44 or 48 such pins. The new products include the following features: (1) they reduce standby operating power by 80% compared to the company's existing 78K0/KB2 and 78K0/KC2 products; (2) they help enhance analog functions and reduce the number of components via two built-in operational amps; and (3) they help reduce system voltage and power consumption by reducing the voltage of the A/D converter compared to conventional products.
Electronics manufacturers can use the new products to support fire alarms, electric toothbrushes and shavers, and other compact systems demanding long lifetimes under battery operation, as well as sub-microcontrollers for home appliances and other products requiring lower standby power consumption. This will enable them to easily make their systems smaller and less expensive by increasing battery lifetime, reducing system power consumption, and reducing peripheral components.
As the mobile-device market continues its dramatic growth, there is a strong demand from general consumers for longer battery life. Awareness of the need for environmental conservation is also growing, and users have come to demand lower power consumption by semiconductors and other components.
In November 2004, NEC Electronics began developing and marketing 8-bit to 32-bit all-Flash microcontrollers (microcontrollers with Flash memory used for all onboard ROM) in response to electronics manufacturers' need to shorten product development cycles and reduce the total cost over the product life cycle. The company has recently focused on research and development to lower microcontroller power consumption, in response to strong demand from electronics manufacturers. In October 2007 it released a 32-bit low-power microcontroller, and in May 2008 released a 16-bit version.
With the release of these new products today, the company is able to provide all-Flash microcontrollers meeting the need to reduce power consumption for the entire 8 to 32-bit range.
The features of the new products are as follows:
(1) Lowest level of standby power consumption in the industry
The new products have achieved the lowest level of power consumption in the industry, helping to increase battery lifetime and lower standby power consumption. They leverage the low-power technologies developed for the company's 16-bit low-power microcontrollers to reduce internal operating voltage, reduce the low-speed onboard oscillator frequency during standby from 240 to 30 kilohertz (kHz), and optimize the circuits to reduce power consumption. Through these improvements, they have reduced standby operating current by 80%, from 3.5 to 0.7 microamperes (µA). The new products also reduce the standby operating current when only the clock function is operational by 70% compared to conventional products, from 3.8 µA to 1.0 µA. They additionally reduce the operating current when operating at 1 megahertz by 40%, from 440 µA to 260 µA.
(2) Helps reduce the number of components through built-in operational amps
The products offer a new feature: they have two built-in operational amps connected to A/D converters. This enables the new products to convert analog signals (voltage values) into digital signals after extracting minute voltage amplitudes and specific signals. This makes it possible to reduce the number of external components compared to conventional products, making the system smaller and reducing development costs.
(3) Reduced A/D converter voltage
The A/D converter extends the operating voltage from 2.3 volts (V) in conventional products to 1.8 V, enabling support of systems that require low operating voltage.
(4) Pin layouts and software compatible with existing NEC Electronics products
The new products' architecture enables operational amps, real-time counters, and other new features to be built in, while maintaining compatibility with the pin layout and peripheral features of the company's existing 78K0/KB2 and 78K0/KC2 models. This will enable users of earlier products to develop systems with low operating voltage and power consumption using previously designed hardware and software assets.
NEC Electronics believes that these new products are ideally suited as sub-microcontrollers for small battery-powered systems, home appliances, and other applications, and plans to market them actively.
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