Microcontrollers run from single-cell supplies

Integrated high-efficiency DC/DC boost convertor can supply up to 65mW of power for both internal MCU use and to drive other components.

Silicon Laboratories has come up with the industry's first microcontrollers capable of operating down to 0.9V, enabling portable devices to derive power from a single battery cell.

The C8051F9xx family's novel 8bit architecture with an integrated high-efficiency DC/DC boost convertor, which can supply up to 65mW of power for both internal MCU use and to drive other components, creates a true single-cell battery system solution.

For products powered by user-replaceable batteries such as wireless sensor networks, smoke alarms, portable medical devices, remote controls, computer peripherals and portable audio devices, the C8051F9xx family enables smaller form factor products, longer battery life and lower overall system cost in both single- and dual-cell modes.

In many low-power applications, operating from 0.9 to 3.6 V, the MCU is in sleep mode for the majority of the time, waking up periodically to capture data.

The C8051F9xx uses innovative design techniques to deliver a typical sleep-mode current of less than 50nA.

The MCU can wake up from its low-power sleep mode with the CPU operating at 25MIPS and ready to make an analogue-to-digital convertor (ADC) measurement within just 2us.

This allows the MCU to spend a minimum amount of time performing measurements and algorithms.

To save battery life in active mode, the C8051F9xxx's power-efficient architecture yields an active-mode current as low as 170uA/MHz.

The C8051F9xx family not only provides high performance while saving power but also unprecedented functional density in a small footprint.

The C8051F9xx family is the first MCU to integrate 64Kbyte of Flash and 4Kbyte of RAM into a 4 x 4mm package, providing customers with increased memory for typical applications such as data logging.

The new low-voltage, low-power MCU family also integrates a 10bit, 300Ksample/s A/D convertor with an internal fast wake-up voltage reference, a SmaRTClock timing module and multiple internal oscillator options to provide a true system-on-chip solution.

This unprecedented integration is enabled by innovative design techniques manufactured in a standard low-power CMOS technology, resulting in fewer external components and reduced bill-of-materials cost for the customer.

"Silicon Labs is revolutionising the portable device market by enabling devices to operate from a single-cell battery", said Derrell Coker, Vice President and General Manager of Silicon Laboratories.

"We've designed this industry-leading C8051F9xx MCU family with all customer concerns in mind to provide the lowest voltage operation and maximised power efficiency without sacrificing the mixed-signal functionality that differentiates Silicon Labs' MCUs".

Silicon Labs' best-in-class tools help speed design and accelerate market entry.

A complete, low-cost professional development kit provides everything required to immediately begin system design including an integrated development environment (IDE), target board, cables and power supply.

Also included in the kit is the Silicon Labs Power Estimation Tool, a GUI-based tool that provides details on typical battery discharge characteristics, as well as a user-editable spreadsheet allowing a designer to optimise the customer's low voltage/low power MCU application.

Designers can also begin risk-free evaluation using an inexpensive ToolStick daughtercard and base adapter.

The C8051F9xx family is available now in compact 4 x 4mm 24-pin QFN, 5 x 5mm 32-pin QFN and 7 x 7mm 32-pin LQFP packages.

Pricing for the C8051F93x and C8051F92x families starts at US $1.99 in quantities of 10,000.

Development kits are available for US $99, and ToolStick daughtercards are available for US $17.90.

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