
5V ARM Cortex-M0+ MCUs for industrial and white goods markets
The sub-$1 Kinetis E series MCUs feature electromagnetic noise immunity for systems that traditionally use 8- and 16-bit MCUs, such as white goods and industrial applications, while providing high efficiency and optimal code density.
The controllers are aimed at applications such as dishwashers, refrigerators, home and building control systems, motor control fans, industrial converters and other equipment commonly operating in high-noise environments. Building on the devices’ robust design and 32-bit processing capabilities, systems designers can use a single device instead of the multiple MCUs previously required. In addition, large-pitch packaging options and high electrostatic discharge protection performance can enable single-layer board designs and reduce the need for additional circuit protection components, leading to lower system cost.
“Historically, 32-bit MCUs have been associated with lower voltage operation and considered unreliable in electromagnetically harsh environments such as factories or even many households,” said Brandon Tolany, vice president of marketing and business development for Freescale’s MCU business. “Kinetis E series MCUs break new ground by combining low cost and high performance with advanced electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection features designed to support compliance with industrial-grade reliability and temperature requirements.”
Freescale offers both hardware features (built into Kinetis E series MCUs) and pre-certified, fault-tolerant software routines engineered to help customers meet the IEC 60730 Class B safety standard for household appliances.
The family features high electrical fast transient/electrostatic discharge (EFT/ESD) performance, flash, RAM, register, watchdog and clock tests and operates from 2.7V to 5.5V and across -40°C to +105°C ambient temperature range. The ARM Cortex-M0+ core runs up to 20MHz and the devices include a single-cycle 32-bit x 32-bit multiplier, single-cycle I/O access port, up to 64 KB flash memory, 256 bytes of EEPROM and up to 4 KB RAM.
Development support includes the FRDM-KE02Z Freescale Freedom development platform, Processor Expert software, as well as a software development kit providing easy access to sample software libraries. Kinetis E series MCUs also benefit from broad ARM ecosystem support including off-the-shelf software, tools and training, as well as partner-developed solutions, such as IAR Embedded Workbench and the Keil MDK-ARM Microcontroller Development Kit.
The first Kinetis E series device, the 64-pin QFP version of the KE02, at $0.78 to $1.13 (10,000). The FRDM-KE02Z Freescale Freedom development platform costs $12.95.
Freescale; www.freescale.com
