Flash MCUs go to extremes

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team May 30, 2003

Extended temperature versions of the Z8 Encore! family of Flash microcontrollers feature between 16 and 64Kbyte of Flash and 2 or 4Kbyte of linear register SRAM, operate between -40 and +105C.

Zilog is shipping extended temperature versions of its Z8 Encore! family of Flash microcontrollers.

The devices, which feature between 16 and 64Kbyte of Flash and 2 or 4Kbyte of linear register SRAM, are rated to operate between -40 and +105C.

The devices are ideal for any vertical application that operates within a wide temperature range and demands high performance and outstanding reliability.

Potential applications include: building access controls; residential and commercial remote entry systems; security systems; industrial irrigation and consumer sprinkler controls; keyless entry systems for automobiles; and navigational equipment for autos and boats.

"Zilog will continue to break new ground as it has with the introduction of the eZ80Acclaim! and Z8 Encore! product families in the past seven months.

These new devices are significant because they extend the reach of the Z8 Encore! family into new application areas in the commercial, industrial and automotive sectors", said Michael Gershowitz, Director, MicroDevices Product Marketing at Zilog.

"We estimate that over 30% of our customers require extended temperature capabilities and the initial reaction from our customers about these new devices has been very enthusiastic.

Clearly, there is strong demand for a device that combines the Flash memory and outstanding peripherals of the Z8 Encore! microcontrollers with a comprehensive temperature rating".

The Z8 Encore! family of 8bit microcontrollers enables embedded system designers to quickly develop new, highly differentiated designs, while reducing total system cost and enhancing performance.

Meanwhile, the eZ80Acclaim! family of 8bit microcontrollers, which was introduced in February, is aimed at higher-performance applications previously the domain of 16bit devices and features an optimised, power-efficient architecture.

The new devices are completely identical to the recently announced Z8 Encore! devices, while being rated for extended temperature range.

Like the rest of the family, the new devices feature Zilog's high-performance register-to-register based architecture and a fast eZ8 CPU 20MHz core, which maintains backward compatibility with the company's very popular Z8 microcontrollers.

All devices in the Z8 Encore! family use the same core architecture and peripheral interfaces to ensure seamless migration across different devices as application requirement change on subsequent projects.

Current Z8 Encore! customers can quickly and easily migrate their existing code without expensive code modification or investment in new development tools.

The extensive suite of on-chip peripherals include: a DMA controller; 12-channel 10bit ADC; SPI; I2C; two 9bit UART ports with integrated IrDA-compliant encoder/decoders; four 16bit counter timers, each with capture and PWM capability; and a single-pin on-chip debugger.

The Zilog Z8 Encore! development kit includes an ANSI-C Compiler and C source-level debugger, the Windows version of Zilog Developer Studio (ZDSII), a full-featured evaluation board, a sample Flash device, an RS232 to ZDB cable, a 9V DC universal power supply, and a target module interface board.

The development kit also includes Zilog Xtools, an intuitive, production-quality suite of tools designed to reduce total system development time.

For a limited time, the company is offering its Z8 Encore! development kit for only $49.95 (book price: $199.00).

Z8 Encore! devices are available in space saving LQFP and PLCC packages and are available in production quantities immediately.

The extended temperature devices will be competitively priced.

For example, the Z8F1601AN020EC, which features 16Kbyte of Flash memory in a 44-pin LQFP, will initially sell for $3.64 each in thousands.