Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe

Fujitsu's new 16FX MCUs deliver faster performance and lower power consumption

Next generation microcontrollers provide true platform solutions for industrial and automotive control - Embedded World Exhibition: Stand 312, Hall 12

Langen & Nuremberg, 13th February 2007 — Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe (FME) today announces its next generation 16-bit microcontrollers. The new 16FX series retains compatibility with the current generation 16LX microcontrollers while providing customers with major performance enhancements including up to five times the computing power, a significant 80% reduction in power consumption (at the same performance) and greater on-chip functionality compared to its predecessor.

Initially comprising four new devices, the 16FX series will target key market sectors, including automotive control applications where the new devices meet the demand for higher computing power combined with a high degree of integration as well as industrial control applications.

The 16FX series is based on an improved CPU with significantly increased internal bus bandwidth. As a result, program execution is about 3 times faster (depending on the memory model used) than 16LX at the same clock frequency. For example at 24MHz 16FX achieves more than 11 real MIPS (Dhrystone 2.1). New technology and improved design allow CPU frequencies up to 56MHz – thus allowing for processing performance ranges equivalent to 32-bit processors.

Low power consumption is achieved by means of Fujitsu's new 0.18µm CMOS process technology, lower internal CPU voltage of 1.8V, a peripheral clock speed selectable independently from CPU speed and a reduced number of clocks per instruction (CPI).

Power consumption is crucial for battery-operated applications. This also applies to many car control units that are still active when the engine is switched off. Reduced power consumption can often save on system costs as potential battery capacities, voltage regulators or buffer capacities can be configured in a smaller format. Cooling measures can be eliminated and electromagnetic radiation is reduced, thus potentially expensive counter-measures (e.g. shielding) can also be dispensed with or substantially reduced.

The reduction of system costs was a focus for the development of the 16FX series. For this reason, FME has drawn on experience from over a hundred customer projects and has implemented many enhancements. For example, by means of an on-chip oscillator the 16FX devices can be operated without external resonators at speeds of either 100kHz or 2MHz. Applications that require a precise clock supply and an external resonator benefit from the fast and safe start-up of the 16FX with on-chip oscillator (less than 1ms and works even if the external resonator strikes) and can utilise the on-chip oscillator for monitoring the external clock source (clock monitor function).

16FX devices have an extended supply voltage range of 3.0 to 5.5V. In case the supply voltage drops momentarily below 3.0V the on-chip low voltage detection reset ensures that the 16FX application will not hang up.

In addition, optional alarm comparators are available for monitoring the analogue parameters without disturbing the CPU. Only when, for example, the on-board voltage leaves a defined range an interrupt is generated allowing the CPU to take counter-measures (e.g. de-activate low prioritised loads).

The 16FX retains pin compatibility with most of the 16LX devices while offering significantly greater performance for the familiar low price of Fujitsu 16-bit devices. With the same instruction set, the assembler and C-compiler are unchanged when moving from the LX to the FX CPU, and several peripherals from the LX are also found on the FX making software conversion easy. The same starter kit (Flash-CAN-100P-340) can be used, and a DVD with development tools and full documentation with no code limit, is available from Fujitsu. On-chip debugging is supported via USART.

Dr.Gerhard Roos, Director Automotive and Industrial Business Unit at FME, commented, "With 32-bit processing performance, low power consumption, improved peripherals including more flexible PWM generation and intelligent interfaces – we can see that our new 16FX series is set to make a big impact on the automotive and industrial control markets."

The new series was developed in Fujitsu's European Microcontroller Design Centre in Langen, Germany, and a roadmap is planned for some 40 devices. Produced in Fujitsu's own 0.18µm process technology, the 16FX series comes in a variety of industry-standard packages with pin-counts from 48 to 144.

Availability

Engineering samples are available now with full production coming on stream in June 2007.

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About Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe

Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe (FME) is a major supplier of semiconductor products. The company provides advanced systems solutions to the automotive, digital TV, mobile telephony, networking and industrial markets. Engineers from design centres dedicated to microcontrollers, graphics controllers, mixed-signal, wireless, FRAM, multimedia ICs and ASIC products work closely with FME's marketing and sales teams throughout Europe to help satisfy customers' system development requirements.

This solutions approach is supported by a broad range of advanced semiconductor devices, IP and building blocks.
For more information, please see: http://emea.fujitsu.com/microelectronics

Notes to Editors

Demonstrating the Difference
A demonstration has been organised by FME at Embedded World, Nuremberg, February 2007 to graphically illustrate just how much difference the greater power of the 16FX can make. Visitors to FME's stand (number 312, Hall 12) will see two flat screen displays, one driven by the current generation device, the 16LX, the other by the brand new 16FX.

A medium resolution picture relevant to this press release can be found by following the link:
For more information, please see: ftp://213.166.4.46/Fujitsu/Press/MRPR866.jpg

For a high resolution download option please follow the link:
For more information, please see: ZIP ftp://ftp.jdk.co.uk/Fujitsu/Press/HRPR866.zip