Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc.

New 16-bit Microcontroller from Fujitsu Microelectronics Designed for Notebook PCs

Smart keyboard controller includes on-chip advanced power-management function

San Jose, CA, September 9, 2002 — Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA) today introduced a pair of 16-bit microcontrollers, built around Fujitsu's Flexible Microcontroller (F2MC) technology, for notebook PC keyboard control.

The new MB90F372 and MB90372 incorporate the keyboard controller with an advanced power-management scheme that allows for extended battery performance in new-generation notebook PCs. Developed jointly by Fujitsu Limited and the Hong Kong design center at Fujitsu Microelectronics Pacific Asia Limited (FMAL), the new MCUs are members of the MB90370 series.

"These new microcontrollers offer high-performance keyboard control and power management solutions for latest notebook PCs," said Sardar Haddad, marketing director of FMA's Embedded Processor Group. "The highly integrated MCUs are great additions to our product portfolio, and they will be excellent design choices for energy-efficient PCs in the U.S."

The MB90370 series incorporates a PS/2 interface and a Low Pin Count (LPC) bus with Serial IRQ to simplify the host controller interface. The series includes an on-chip comparator for battery and AC power monitoring, and power management for control of up to three batteries.

Also included in an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), the bus interface between ICs in home appliances and communication equipment, and a multi-address I2C to communicate with smart batteries and support the packet-error checking and time-out detector functions that comply with the SMBus Rev. 1.1. These I2C channels are able to communicate with multiple batteries through an integrated bridge circuit.

Phoenix Technologies Created New MultiKey^TM Firmware
FMA also announced that Phoenix Technologies Ltd., a global leader in device-enabling and management software products for PCs, has created a MultiKeyTM product to support the MB90370 series of microcontrollers.

"Phoenix is always looking for creative ways to add value to our partners' products," said Mark Erickson, Senior Director, FirstBIOSTM Product Marketing, for Phoenix. "Our increasing collaboration with Fujitsu enables us to continue driving value and leadership in the market. The combination of Phoenix MultiKey firmware with the new MB90370 series keyboard controller is an excellent innovation for controlling keyboard functions and providing battery management capabilities."

Microcontroller Features
The new 16-bit MCUs provide a total of 351 instructions with a minimum instruction execution time of 62.5 ns. They include 120 I/O ports, along with 4-channel, 16-bit reload timers and 3-channel Programmable Pulse Generator (PPG) timers. The controller communicates through UART, I2C, multi-address I2C, PS/2 and LPC interfaces. Other features include: AC power and battery monitor comparators, which can control up to three batteries; a bridge circuit usable by the I2C or multi-address I2C; an LCD controller driver 9Seg/4COM (maximum 36 segments); a 12-channel A/D converter (10/8 bit selectable); and a 2-channel D/A converter (8 bit).

Pricing and Availability
The new 16-bit MCUs are available in two 144-pin plastic Low-profile Quad Flat Pack (LQFP) versions. The MB90F372, which includes 64Kbytes of flash memory and 6Kbytes RAM, is available for $9.95 each in 10,000-piece quantities. The MB90372, which comes with 64Kbytes of Mask ROM and 6Kbytes of RAM, is priced at $6.89 each in 10,000-unit quantities. Both MCUs operate at 3.0V to 3.6V and are manufactured using Fujitsu's CMOS 0.35-micron process technology.

Fujitsu will continue to enhance its lineup of F²MC microcomputers for system control of digital AV equipment, automobiles and home appliances, using advanced technology that simplifies PC board design, and reduces the total mounting area and number of parts in a single design.

Note to Editors:
A low-resolution picture relevant to this announcement can be found by following the link:
http://www.fma.fujitsu.com/images/mcu_16keylr.jpg

For a high-resolution download option please follow the link:
http://www.fma.fujitsu.com/images/mcu_16keyhr.zip

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About Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc.

Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA) designs, markets and supports a broad range of semiconductor and electronic devices. For product information, call 1-800-866-8608, or visit the company web site at www.fma.fujitsu.com/mcu

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