Micros
MCUs combine Cortex-M7 core & advanced peripherals
STMicroelectronics has become the first chip maker to begin volume production of MCUs featuring the ARM Cortex-M7 processor: the latest and highest-performing Cortex-M core for advanced consumer, industrial, medical, and IoT devices. The smart architecture of ST's STM32F7 microcontrollers combines the Cortex-M7 core with advanced peripherals.
Multi-application MCUs offer integrated high security
Freescale has announced the Kinetis K8x multi-application MCU family, delivering high levels of integrated security on an ARM Cortex-M class platform. Creating a secure embedded application has previously required a main processor, a security co-processor to perform cryptographic functions, and in some cases an IC for physical tamper protection. Kinetis K8x MCUs perform all of these functions for savings in cost, size and power.
Automotive MCUs speed & simplify software development
As silicon content and complexity continue to rise in cars, the future of automotive advancement increasingly depends on software. New vehicles commonly incorporate more than 100m lines of embedded code – more than most passenger aircraft. While offering exciting opportunities for innovation, software increases complexity and creates significant code maintenance and time-to-market challenges.
MPU family incorporates the ARM Cortex-A7 & M4 cores
At the 2015 Freescale Technology Forum, Freescale introduced the i.MX 7 series of power efficient APs, based on its successful i.MX platform. The i.MX 7 series delivers outstanding core power efficiency of 15.7DMIPS/mW, a Low Power State Retention mode (LPSR) of 250μW and the industry’s first general purpose MPU family to incorporate both the ARM Cortex-A7 and the ARM Cortex-M4 cores.
MCUs feature support for BLE & IEEE 802.15.4 applications
A wireless MCU family with support for Bluetooth Smart/BLE and IEEE 802.15.4 applications has been released by Freescale Semiconductor. The KW40Z MCUs integrate a 2.4GHz multi-protocol radio that provides the ability to access one BLE network and one 802.15.4 network from a single device while achieving strong RF performance and low current consumption.
Freescale’s T4 series MPUs now feature extended reliability
e2v has released extended reliability versions of Freescale’s T4 series of MPUs. The high-reliability series, including T4240 (24 virtual cores), T4160 (16 virtual cores) and T4080 (8 virtual cores), will be showcased at this year’s Freescale Technology Forum in Texas, 22nd to 25th June, at booth 238.
32-bit MCUs shipments forecast to grow at a rate of 10%
According to findings from the 2015 edition of Semicast’s study of 32-bit MCUs, revenues are forecast to grow at a rate of more than 10% a year from 2014 to 2020. Measured in units, Semicast Research forecasts the market to grow even faster, at more than 20% a year over the same period, with annual shipments heading towards 18bn in 2020.
Low-power MCUs simplify sensorless BLDC motor control
Renesas Electronics has announced the RL78/G1F Group of multi-function MCUs, adding 20 members to its low-power RL78 family. Featuring enhanced peripheral functions and compatibility across the RL78/G1x Series of MCUs, the devices simplify sensorless BLDC motor control and deliver precision operation at faster rotational speeds with high accuracy for energy-efficient home appliances and electric power tools.
5V Cortex M0+ MCUs feature a peripheral touch controller
The world’s first full 5V ARM Cortex-M0+-based MCU family with integrated Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) has been introduced by Atmel. The SAM C family innovatively combines 5V, DMA performance and a PTC with outstanding moisture tolerance. The devices also integrate advanced analogue capability and offer EMI and ESD protection, making them suitable for the rapidly expanding smart appliance and industrial markets.
Lose power, not data
Overcoming a design hurdle that has burdened engineers for decades, Texas Instruments (TI) has announced a revolutionary Compute Through Power Loss (CTPL) technology to enable context save and restore across its MSP430 FRAM MCU family, including the MSP430FR6972 MCU.