NEC Electronics Expands lineup of 32-bit Microcontrollers

The new products have the following features: Integrated Ethernet media access controller (MAC) channel, eliminating the need for an external Ethernet controller; Up to 512 kilobytes (KB) of flash memory and up to 124 KB of random access memory (RAM), making it possible to run network software using on-chip memory alone; Peripheral functions including full speed USB 2.0 interface and CAN interface.

Originally deployed as a networking technology for office computers, servers, and office automation equipments, Ethernet is now the world’s most widespread wired local area network (LAN) technology. Over the next few years, Ethernet is expected to be further used for remote and supervisory control of industrial devices, building-management systems, home networks, and utility meters for the gas, water, and electricity. Factory Automation equipments in particular has been a field in which designers traditionally used proprietary network architectures but with the growing popularity of Ethernet, more and more developers are moving to Ethernet to facilitate network communication.

To add Ethernet functionality in the past, designers typically had to add a separate Ethernet controller in addition to high-capacity external memory for network software, which is why NEC Electronics designed its new MCUs with those features built-in. The large amount of integrated memory eliminates the need for any external memory by making it possible for systems to run network software using onboard memory alone. The integration of the Ethernet and large memory allow designers to build systems at lower cost than using external components.