ZiLOG unveils new MCU for networking apps

ZiLOG Inc. has added to its eZ80Acclaim! line an enhanced MCU designed for Internet/Intranet-based networking and communications applications. The new offering is designated the eZ80F91AZA50 (LQFP) or eZ80F91NAA50 (BGA), depending on packaging type. It features increased registers for better I/O performance, a modified power controller for lower power consumption and updated flash memory functionality to reduce code size and speed time-to-market.

Network control
This latest version of the eZ80F91 controller provides a combination of features to enable collection of data from—and control of—a networked group of instruments or systems via a single PC. Along with the other members of the eZ80Acclaim! 8bit MCU family, it features on-chip integrated memories (up to 256Kbyte flash and 16Kbyte SRAM), core speeds up to 50MHz, and an on-chip Ethernet MAC.

"The upgrades and enhancements incorporated in this newest member of the Acclaim! family deliver the capabilities needed to implement communication protocol stacks and the flexibility required to perform in-system application firmware updates," said Norman Sheridan, ZiLOG executive VP and chief technology officer. "It also offers a rich set of serial communication peripherals intended to facilitate designs for a wide range of networked applications, including consumer electronics, point-of-sale terminals, security systems, medical instrumentation and industrial control."

Backward compatibility
The eZ80F91AZA50 and eZ80F91NAA50 devices have identical footprints to the previous eZ80F91 generation. The new devices were designed to be backward-compatible, although some minor code modification may be required, dependant on which features are used. Development kits and modules are available to facilitate designs developed using these new offerings.

ZiLOG's latest 8bit MCU is currently available.