
PSoC offers Cortex-M0, programmable analog, logic
The PSoC 4 L-Series is intended for a broad range of industrial and consumer applications, applying the PSoC architecture to address multiple product variations, and Cypress’s CapSense capacitive touch-sensing technology to implement reliable and elegant user interfaces.
Cypress adds, “The PSoC 4 L-Series introduces new capabilities such as dual-mutual CapSense blocks with up to 94 channels for large, capacitive-touch home appliance applications and USB and programmable digital blocks to create bit-perfect digital audio solutions. Additionally, it provides all the resources needed to create new products for the emerging USB Type-C market.”
Development board
The PSoC 4 L-Series has up to 13 programmable analogue blocks including 4 high-performance opamps, 4 current-output digital-to-analogue converters (IDACs), 2 low-power comparators, a 12-bit SAR ADC and dual CapSense blocks with up to 94 capacitive-sensing channels. The programmable analogue blocks enable engineers to create on-chip, custom analogue front ends to support new end-product features, without increasing product costs, size or power consumption.
Next: Development support
The PSoC 4 L-Series hosts up to 20 programmable digital blocks including 8 timer/counter/PWM blocks, 4 serial communication blocks and 8 Universal Digital Blocks (UDBs) – these are programmable digital blocks that each contain two programmable logic devices, a programmable data path and status and control registers. UDBs can be configured as coprocessors to offload compute-intensive tasks from the ARM Cortex-M0 core. The blocks also enable engineers to implement custom digital peripherals, state machines or glue logic. Traditional MCUs, Cypress asserts, typically require additional ICs to implement this functionality.
The scalable PSoC 4 architecture is supported in the PSoC Creator Integrated Design Environment (IDE), which simplifies system design and accelerates time-to-market by enabling concurrent hardware and firmware design, and PSoC Components—free embedded ICs represented by an icon in the IDE. Together they enable rapid prototyping of end applications while minimising PCB spins and firmware changes that are typically required.
The PSoC 4 L-Series is currently sampling with production expected in the first quarter of 2016. Parts will be available in 48-pin TQFP, 64-pin TQFP, 68-pin QFN and 124-pin VFBGA packages.
Cypress; www.cypress.com/PSoC4
