8bit microcontrollers master power efficiency

MCUs are well suited for power-sensitive wireless and battery-operated applications, including utility meters, HVAC and building controls, commercial smoke detectors and toys.

Freescale Semiconductor has extended its ultra-low-power family of QE microcontrollers (MCUs) with higher performance 8bit devices designed to offer exceptionally low power consumption.

These latest MCUs are engineered to enhance portable performance, extend battery life and improve energy efficiency for a wide range of embedded applications.

The power-efficient MC9S08QE32 (QE32) MCUs are well suited for power-sensitive wireless and battery-operated applications, including utility meters, HVAC and building controls, commercial smoke detectors and toys.

They are also ideal for embedded developers who require higher performance and a rich peripheral set with multiple time-pulse modulation (TPM), general purpose IO (GPIO) and serial communications interface (SCI) channels.

The devices' high level of peripheral integration helps reduce component count and system cost and enhances design flexibility.

The QE32 devices address portable design requirements through optimised peripherals that enable lower operating voltage and current.

QE32 MCUs are designed to run off of an ultra-low-power 32kHz oscillator that consumes less than 7.3uA of current.

The devices also include battery-saving features, such as two ultra-low-power stop modes, low-power run and wait modes, 6us wake-up time from stop mode, and clock gating registers to disable clocks or unused peripherals.

As part of the Flexis QE family, the QE32 MCUs are pin and software compatible with corresponding devices in Freescale's MC9S08QE family of ultra-low-power MCUs.

This compatibility, along Freescale's Controller Continuum, provides developers with a software-compatible roadmap from 8 to 32bit architectures.

The QE32 MCUs are supported by a rich ecosystem of Freescale and third-party hardware and software tools.

Freescale's CodeWarrior Development Studio for Microcontrollers 6.2 offers a comprehensive tool suite that supports software development for future migration opportunities for both 8 and 32bit designs.

The CodeWarrior tool suite also includes the Processor Expert rapid application development tool to help speed time to market.

To simplify board design, Freescale offers a cost-effective demonstration kit DEMO9S08QE32 that includes the QE32 daughtercard, as well as a serial port and built-in USB-BDM cable for debugging and programming.

The DC9S08QE32 can also be ordered independently to use with DEMOQE base board.

The demonstration kit also includes a DVD with software, application examples, datasheets and a quick-start guide to help developers get up and running quickly in the design process.

Freescale's extensive resources for low-power design include application notes, low-power tips and tricks, and online training and webcasts on low-power design.

QE32 MCU samples in 48QFN package are available now.

The suggested resale price for the QE32 devices in 10,000-piece quantities starts at US $1.69.

The DEMO9S08QE32 and DC9S08QE32 are available now at suggested resale prices of US $69 and $10, respectively.

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