Product category:
Analogue and Mixed Signal ICs
News Release from: Catalyst Semiconductor | Subject: CAT116x series
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 11 February 2002
EEPROM provides more secure MPU
supervision
Catalyst Semiconductor has expanded its AE2 analogue EEPROM mixed-signal product strategy with the CAT116x series of microprocessor supervisory circuits with serial 16Kbit EEPROM.
Catalyst Semiconductor has expanded its AE2 analogue EEPROM mixed-signal product strategy with the CAT116x series of microprocessor supervisory circuits with serial 16Kbit EEPROM The three-member family features versions with dual polarity reset outputs, manual reset capability and watchdog capability
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 7 Feb 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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"The combined market for medium density serial EEPROM and discrete supervisory circuits exceeded $250 million last year", said Catalyst Semiconductor Director of Marketing, David Gillooly.
"The low-cost, multi-function CAT116x family simplifies embedded system design and is an example of the added-value EEPROM memory capability gives traditional analogue circuits.
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In volume, we expect the CAT116x family will be lower in cost than present two circuit solutions.
In the future, Catalyst EEPROM technology will be used in our power management devices, such as low dropout voltage regulators, PWM controllers and DC/DC convertors for enhanced performance and greater manufacturing flexibility through on-chip programmability".
Each device has a 400kHz, I2C (TM) compatible memory interface to the on-chip 16Kbit EEPROM.
A hardware write protection signal on the WP pin places the entire memory array into a read-only mode.
In addition, whenever the power supply falls below the reset threshold or until the power supply voltage is above the reset threshold during power up, a supply lockout circuit inhibits writes to memory.
Both features provide a high degree of data integrity.
The CAT1161 and CAT1163 feature increased system-monitoring capability.
Even with the correct power supply voltage, a system can become locked in an unwanted state.
A system can become frozen or "stuck" in a non-operating state when hardware fails or software malfunctions.
For such cases, the watchdog circuit on the CAT1161 and CAT1163 will detect when a system has failed and issue a system-reset signal.
A watchdog circuit, coupled with error recovery software code, can prevent annoying and potentially dangerous system failures.
The CAT1161 and CAT1163 devices integrate a 1.6s watchdog timer on-chip.
The timer monitors a signal for activity.
Any activity on the monitored pin will cause the timer to restart its 1.6s count.
If no activity is detected on a monitored signal during the watchdog period, the watchdog timer "times-out" and the reset signals become active.
The CAT1161 watchdog timer monitors the serial/data address line internally, thus eliminating an external PC board trace.
For maximum application flexibility, the CAT1163 has a watchdog input pin for monitoring any signal.
The low-cost CAT1162 does not have watchdog capability.
The CAT1161/2/3 devices detect power-up, power-down and brownout power states.
Whenever the supply voltage is below the reset threshold, reset signals become active.
Reset signals remain valid for power supply voltages as low as 1V.
During power-up or after a brownout condition, the reset signals remain active for a minimum of 130ms and a maximum of 270ms.
This allows the system to stabilise before the controller or ASIC is allowed to restart.
Unlike simple supervisory circuits, each Catalyst device has both an active high and an active low reset pin.
In addition, the reset pins can serve as manual reset inputs for a mechanical switch.
A wide selection of microcontrollers from Philips, Intel, Motorola, Hitachi and Microchip are supported.
To support 3, 3.3 and 5V powered systems, each CAT1161/2/3 has five reset threshold voltage options ranging from 2.55 to 4.5V.
Package options include the 8-pin SO and 8-pin DIP.
Commercial and industrial operating temperature range devices are available.
Samples and production quantities are available now.
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