The 32-bit microcontroller class spans an ever-widening performance envelope, as Freescale and Renesas have announced chips at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Freescale's MPC8544E (see table) targets networking applications with its pair of 1Gbit Ethernet interfaces. The PCI and PCI Express ports provide high-speed access to off-chip peripherals. Its built-in encryption engine addresses the higher security levels that today's network environments need. Pricing starts at $70.
Based upon the 32-bit H8SX core, Renesas' H8SX/1622 processor (see table) targets portable applications. It's available in a range of configurations with up to 1 Mbyte of flash memory. Pricing starts at $9.
Freescale • www.freescale.com
Renesas • www.renesas.com