MCU beefs up embedded SRAM and is optimised for portable devices

Its large memory, coupled with expanded integration capabilities and lower system power enable richer graphics and longer battery life to optimize the user experience in a broad range of use cases.

“Embedded designers can now push the limits of integration to create more competitive products with NXP’s new Kinetis K27/K28 MCUs, which makes it possible for them to get the most out of their devices,” said Geoff Lees, senior vice president and general manager of the microcontroller business line at NXP. “Our new high-performance microcontrollers enable enhanced user interfaces and high-end customised apps while extending battery life, all of which are important when it comes to product differentiation for IoT devices, smart home products, wearables and industrial portable devices.”

The 1MB embedded SRAM enables lower system power and larger graphics buffer sizes to deliver both power efficiency and high performance; this enables users to install more software applications and apps on wearables, and other portable graphic display systems.

The advanced integration also reduces system board footprint addressing the need for portable devices to have small form factors.

The MCUs support a broad set of peripherals, including low-power peripherals to optimise battery life, dual USB controllers for high speed data transfer, external memory interfaces for additional program and data storage, and analogue or other peripherals to process sensors in connected IoT devices.

The Kinetis K27/K28 is supported by a FRDM-K28F low-cost development platform that includes on-board discrete power management, accelerometer, QuadSPI serial flash, USB high-speed connector and full-speed USB OpenSDA.

The FRDM-K28F board also supports optional add-on boards to add USB-Type C and Bluetooth® low energy (BLE) connectivity, as well as a 5in. LCD display board with capacitive touch from MikroElektronika for use cases requiring rich graphics.

Additionally, NXP provides a comprehensive software tools through its MCUXpresso SDK that provides software enablement for NXP Microcontrollers, including system startup, peripheral drivers, USB and connectivity stacks, middleware, and real-time operating system (RTOS) kernels. The devices will be available in April 2017.