Integrated MCUs enable system management

System designers constantly strive to improve the reliability and system health of computing, embedded and consumer electronics systems. One area where reliability is particularly essential is server management. Server downtime, data corruption and hardware failures can have a direct impact on a company's operations. As a result, server manufacturers have designed system-management architectures to improve reliability by providing layered management, autonomous monitoring and scalability.

Server-management architectures handle devices that control and monitor voltage rails, startup conditions and system cooling. Additionally, they provide real-time clock functionality and store failure data in non-volatile memory. A variety of fixed-function, single-purpose devices are typically used to accomplish these functions.

However, MCUs with integrated serial communication peripherals can add value to these applications by enabling flexibility, integration and reduced costs. This solution applies not only to server-management applications, but also to any serial-communication application where flexibility, integration and cost reduction are important.

View the PDF document for more information.