Microcontrollers made for PC human input devices

Cypress Semiconductor has introduced a new family of low-speed USB microcontrollers targeting PC human input devices, including keyboards, mice and wireless dongles.

Cypress Semiconductor has introduced a new family of low-speed USB microcontrollers targeting PC human input devices, including keyboards, mice and wireless dongles.

Based on Cypress's popular "M8" microcontroller architecture, the Encore II (enhanced component reduction) family offers a Flash-based design that enables storage of wireless binding parameters as well as in-system reprogrammability.

The new family also adds reduced power consumption and enhanced CPU capabilities.

Cypress's Encore USB technology features a breakthrough crystalless oscillator.

By integrating the oscillator on-chip, an external crystal or resonator is no longer needed.

Cypress has also integrated other external components commonly found in low-speed USB applications, including pull-up resistors, wake-up circuitry, and a 3.3V regulator.

This integration results in shorter development cycles and lower system costs.

"As the worldwide leader in USB technology, customers expect Cypress to continually deliver value-added solutions", said Trevor Davis, Director of Marketing for Cypress's Consumer and Computation Division.

"The Encore II products offer important new features while meeting the low-cost requirements of this competitive market".

The Encore-II family includes three lines of products.

The CY7C639xx line is the first to bring Cypress's enhanced component reduction technologies to keyboard designs.

The chips are offered in 40-pin PDIP and 28-/48-pin SSOP packages, and priced starting at $1.30 in 100,000-unit quantities.

The CY7C638xx line of Encore II controllers is targeted for high-end optical mice and wireless dongles.

The devices are offered in PDIP, SOIC and QSOP packages, with pricing starting at $0.90 each in 100,000-unit quantities.

The CY7C633xx products target low-end optical and optomechanical mice.

Available in 16-pin PDIP and SOIC packages, the devices are priced starting at just $0.85 in volume.

All of the devices are sampling now with production availability in April of this year.

Cypress is also providing low-cost manufacturing chip-on-board support for high-volume Encore II products.

A low voltage, low power non-USB version of the Encore-II microcontroller targeting wireless applications will be available later this year.

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