'Smallest' 8bit MCU offers improved design flexibility

Silicon Laboratories Inc. has expanded its small form factor microcontrollers with the C8051T606 low-cost 8bit mixed-signal MCU.

Claimed to be the smallest MCU, the C8051T606 provides a high degree of functional density for programmable embedded systems in a tiny 2mm x2mm footprint. The high-performance CPU enables greater design flexibility, and the integration of a voltage monitor and precision oscillator make the T606 ideal for space-constrained applications such as portable consumer products and accessories, gateways, and LED lighting.

The T606 offers higher levels of performance and integrated on-chip hardware peripherals giving customers design flexibility while reducing system complexity and cost. For example, the hardware implementation of I?C and UART on-chip leaves valuable code space for customer application code unlike competing solutions that require a software implementation of these features, wasting code space and CPU MIPs. An integrated 24.5MHz precision internal oscillator and flexible UART baud rate generator allow UART communications over the full temperature and supply voltage range without the addition of a crystal. This saves cost, board space, and increases reliability.

Additionally, with a 25MHz CPU, the T606 offers the highest level of processing power in its class, enabling real-time control, high-speed serial communication, fast interrupt servicing, and real time conversion between two different communications ports. The CPU combined with the programmable counter array also allows a customer to implement proprietary and custom interface protocols without requiring an ASIC.

The T606's small footprint does not limit a customer's design flexibility; in fact, the high level of integrated functionality enables customers to also do the following:

??Implement UART-I?C bridges without relying on slower and less reliable software implementations.
??Perform brightness control, color mixing and thermal management required for LED lighting.
??Efficiently implement a system supervisor solution in applications that need warning of low power supply to safely shutdown or switch to battery backup. The T606's comparator has the unique capability to select multiple inputs with a software controlled multiplexer enabling it to monitor more than one voltage. The on-chip voltage supply monitor ensures the MCU is operating with sufficient supply voltage without the addition of an off-chip supervisor reducing the cost and footprint of the solution.

"Silicon Labs offers small footprint MCU solutions that don't compromise on important features and performance, providing customers tangible benefits in the form of system cost savings, reduced complexity and improved design flexibility," said Mark Thompson, vice president of Silicon Laboratories. "The T606 is the industry's smallest 8bit MCU, packing a powerful mixed signal feature set into a very small footprint."

The C8051T606 small form factor MCU family is available now with pricing beginning at $0.50 in quantities of 10K and can be purchased at www.silabs.com/mcu.

- Henri Arnold
EE Times