About UsFreescale Releases Ultra-Low End Miniature Microcontroller
Microcontroller Small Enough to Fit in Head of a Toothbrush
Freescale Semiconductor (now part of NXP) is offering engineers easy entry to its expansive microcontroller portfolio with an ultra-low-end, sub-50-cent 8-bit device small enough to fit in the head of an electric toothbrush.
The first product to be built on the recently announced RS08 core, a simplified version of Freescale’s high-performance, low-power HCS08 architecture, the MC9RS08KA family is designed for applications with extreme space and price constraints. It is ideal for traditional electro-mechanical designs and portable applications ranging from motor control to use-and-toss health care products.
The MC9RS08KA family offers a robust support environment and a pin-compatible route into the MC9S08QG
when designers need to add new functionality.
Shared peripherals and a common set of development tools help make it easy for engineers to leverage their design investment upstream.
“Freescale is positioned to compete aggressively in the ultra-low-end 8-bit market,” said Fred Zieber, founder and president of Pathfinder Research.
“This product signals to the market Freescale’s dedication to offering a breadth of MCU products suited for any and all customer needs.”
By providing up to 2K flash and 63B random access memory (RAM),
Freescale’s KA family offers more functionality and application options than ultra-low-end,
6-pin devices available in the market today.
Additionally, the KA family includes reprogrammable flash across voltage ranges and
performs up to 10 MHz at 1.8 volts. The product features a voltage regulator that minimizes voltage
variation to logic and keeps voltage supply (Vdd) lower, reducing overall power consumption.
The KA family is supported by the same Freescale development tools that allow designers and programmers using other Freescale 8-bit products
to work efficiently and economically.
CodeWarrior(R) Development Studio for HC(S)08/RS08 Microcontrollers v5.1 is designed to accelerate application development
with a built-in project wizard that helps create working projects in as few as seven clicks.
“The tiny KA is proof that small devices can be packed with possibilities,” said Mike McCourt, vice president and general manager of Freescale's Microcontroller Division. “This move to the ultra-low-end combined with Freescale’s tools and support demonstrates that we have listened closely to our customer base and are providing them the fastest, easiest and most accessible solutions in the market.”;
Features of the MC9RS08KA include:
- Up to 2 KB third-generation flash with extremely fast byte-writable programming
- 1.8-volt to 5.5-volt supply
- Integrated clock source (ICS) up to 10 MHz internal bus operation with 2 percent deviation over full temperature and voltage range
- 8-bit modulo timer with 8-bit prescalar
- Analog comparator with full rail-to-rail supply operation that can operate in STOP mode
- Real-time interrupt trigger with 3-bit prescalar
- Four bidirectional input/output (I/O) lines
- Computer operating properly (COP) feature
- 3/5-channel keyboard interrupt (KBI)
- Low voltage detect (LVD) with reset, stop or wakeup
- Auto wakeup
- Background debugging system
- 6-pin DFN, 8-pin plastic dual in-line package (PDIP) and 8-pin narrow-body small outline integrated circuit (NB-SOIC)
The NXP website address is www.nxp.com
[Reprinted with kind permission from Freescale Semiconductor - Release Date 14th May, 2015]