Maxim Integrated Release Industry’s Smallest Package Real-Time Clock
The MAX31341B operates at less than 180nA and extends battery life in wearables, point-of-sale and portable systems
Maxim Integrated have released the MAX31341B nanoPower real-time clock (RTC). The MAX31341B enables designers of space-constrained systems such as wearables, medical monitors, point-of-sale (POS) equipment and portable terminals to extend battery life as well as save power and space. More than 35 percent smaller than the tiniest RTC alternatives available today, this nanoPower RTC, which operates at less than 180nA, offloads the central microcontroller from timekeeping, allowing for greater energy savings during sleep cycles and extension of battery runtime.

“Designers of compact electronic systems are always striving to lengthen the battery life of their systems,” said Kevin Anderson, senior analyst at IHS Markit. “Any solution that extends battery life by making circuits more efficient will draw interest of engineers designing next-generation systems.”
Systems that use microcontrollers for accurate timekeeping waste battery life, which is unacceptable in wearable applications. This approach is not the most energy efficient, especially when small batteries power the system. The MAX31341B is designed with industry-leading power-management circuitry that remains on during dormant periods, providing timekeeping so that the microcontroller shuts down to preserve power and extend battery life. Available in an ultra-small wafer-level package measuring 2mm x 1.5mm, the RTC cuts the size by more than 35 percent to decrease the overall system design.
“Maxim’s real-time clock delivers accurate timekeeping while extending battery life and saving power for always-on, space- and power-constrained applications,” said Binay Bajaj, business management director for the Core Products Group at Maxim Integrated. “As the industry’s only RTC with power-management capabilities, it can offload the application processor of the timekeeping task and remain as the only device that is on when a device is not in use.”
Features of the MAX31341B Real-Time Clock include:
- Increases Battery Life
- 180nA Timekeeping Current
- Wide Range of External Crystals with CL = 6pF and ESR up to 100kΩ for Minimal Current Draw
- Trickle Charger for External Super Capacitor or Rechargeable Battery
- Provides Flexible Configurability
- A Schmitt Trigger Input to Trigger Interrupt
- One Analog Input with Adjustable Threshold to Trigger Interrupt
- Programmable Square Wave Output for Clock Monitoring
- Saves Board Space
- Integrated Load Capacitors for Crystal Oscillator
- 2mm x 1.5mm, 12-Bump WLP with 0.5mm Pitch
- 3mm x 3mm, 10-pin TDFN
- Value Add Features for Ease-of-Use
- +1.6V to +3.6V Operating Voltage Range
- Countdown Timer with Repeat and Pause Functions
- 64-Byte RAM for User Data Storage
- Integrated Protection
- Power-On Reset for Default Configuration
- Automatic Switchover to Backup Battery or Super Capacitor On Power Fail
- Lockup-Free Operation with Bus Timeout
For more information on the MAX31341B Real-Time Clock, visit the Analog Devices website at Analog Devices MAX31341B product page.
The Analog Devices website address is www.analog.com
[Reprinted with kind permission from Maxim Integrated - Release Date 23rd July, 2019]