Zilog expands Z8 Encore! Family

Zilog Inc. announced an extension to its current Z8 Encore! Flash microcontroller (MCU) family to include devices with lower memory sizes.

The additional Z8 Encore! products support up to 4KB of flash program memory and 1KB register RAM. The Z8 Encore! family now supports a full range of memory sizes ranging from 1KB to 64KB. According to the company, these new small memory devices are particularly suitable for designing into low cost, general purpose 8bit MCU applications in markets such as home appliances, security systems, sensors, personal electronic devices, motor control and electronic lighting.

Ramesh Ramchandani, EVP of sales and marketing, said, "The Z8 Encore! family of flash MCUs, we believe, is superior to what is currently being offered in the marketplace by our competitors. Its flexibility and high performance, along with a robust set of features, provide the components necessary for design engineers to tackle today's most demanding applications."

Key features of the new Z8 Encore! members include the company's easy to use register-to-register based architecture, an on-chip internal oscillator (this eliminates the need for external components), and up to 1KB RAM (as all RAM locations are accumulators, there is also no single-register bottleneck). In addition, the devices feature an optional 8-channel 10bit A/D converter, a new single-pin debugger and programming interface that simplifies code development and allows easy in-circuit flash programming and debugging, and a full-duplex UART that provides serial communications and IrDA encoding and decoding capabilities. The 4K series also has a 2.7V to 3.6V operating voltage (with 5V tolerant I/Os) in both a standard and extended temperature range.

The new MCUs are priced at 85 cents for a 1KB device in 20-pin SOIC, and $1 for a 4KB version in 28-pin SOIC, both for 10,000-unit quantities.