Freescale’s New Ultra-Low-Power, 32- to 64-Pin Kinetis Microcontrollers

Sixty new DSP-enabled, 50 MHz 32-bit Kinetis MCUs address growing need for low power and compact packages

Freescale Semiconductor (now part of NXP) is expanding its portfolio of 32-bit Kinetis microcontrollers (MCUs), based on the ARM Cortex-M4 processor, with 60 new entry-level devices that are expected to begin sampling in early 2012. The new devices are additions to the Kinetis K10 and K20 families and are the lowest power Kinetis MCUs to date, consuming only 630uA at a CPU speed of 4MHz in low power run mode, which is equivalent to 160uA/MHz. The lowest power mode consumes only 40 nA and, together with a wide variety of low-power settings, users can achieve significant extension in battery life. These entry-level, 32-bit MCUs combine extensive feature integration with a small form factor, making them ideal for space- and cost-constrained applications.

“Starting at under $1 (USD), Freescale’s Kinetis K10 and K20 families provide a new level of low power, integration and affordability,” said Geoff Lees, vice president of Freescale's Industrial & Multi-Market MCU business. “Our latest devices offer full scalability and compatibility with our rapidly growing Kinetis portfolio.”

The new ARM Cortex-M4 core K10 and K20 family members offer from 32 KB to 128 KB of flash memory in 32-pin QFN (5mm x 5mm) to 64-pin LQFP packages. Devices are built using Freescale’s innovative 90nm thin film storage (TFS) low-leakage flash technology with up to 32 KB of optional FlexMemory (2 KB EEPROM), very low power run and stop mode currents and fast wake-up times. Peripheral options include a 16-bit ADC, full-speed USB On-The-Go controller with complimentary software stack, low-power touch sensing interface and several general timing, communication and control peripherals.

The devices are targeted to a broad range of applications, including I/O modules for factory automation, portable healthcare instruments, USB microphones and gaming headsets, as well as smart grid applications that demand solid processing power with aggressive low-power profiles.

The NXP website address is www.nxp.com
[Reprinted with kind permission from Freescale]

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