Latest Arm-Based MCU Gets Ready For Its Demo

April 29, 2010
NXP Semiconductors now has working silicon for its newest microcontrollers (MCUs) based on the ARM Cortex-M4 processor.

Eindhoven, the Netherlands: NXP Semiconductors now has working silicon for its newest microcontrollers (MCUs) based on the ARM Cortex-M4 processor. The Cortex-M4 DSC family is implemented using an ultra-low-leakage 90-nm process technology that enables performance in excess of 150 MHz as well as low active power consumption.

In addition, the MCUs can provide low-power down currents using techniques proprietary to NXP. Featuring the signal processing functionality of the Cortex-M4, the NXP microcontrollers are designed for a range of applications, including motor control, digital power control, and embedded audio.

Traditional microcontrollers are designed to perform control-oriented applications but aren’t well suited for complex digital signal processing algorithms. Adding a separate DSP can make the overall system costly.

The ARM Cortex-M4 processor has an extensive set of single-cycle multiply-accumulate (MAC) instructions; optimized single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) instructions; saturated arithmetic instructions; and a single-precision floating-point unit (FPU). Coupled with speeds exceeding 150 MHz, the Cortex-M4-based MCUs are ideal for processing analog data and complex processing algorithms.

“Our newest microcontrollers based on the ARM Cortex-M4 processor will be an important part of NXP’s High Performance Mixed Signal portfolio, providing embedded system designers with an effective way to process data from complex analog peripherals,” said Geoff Lees, vice president and general manager, microcontroller product line, NXP. “The DSP extensions of the Cortex-M4 offer significant advantages, for example, offering five to 10 times improvement in complex DSP algorithms.”

Sponsored Recommendations

Board-Mount DC/DC Converters in Medical Applications

March 27, 2024
AC/DC or board-mount DC/DC converters provide power for medical devices. This article explains why isolation might be needed and which safety standards apply.

Use Rugged Multiband Antennas to Solve the Mobile Connectivity Challenge

March 27, 2024
Selecting and using antennas for mobile applications requires attention to electrical, mechanical, and environmental characteristics: TE modules can help.

Out-of-the-box Cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity with AWS IoT ExpressLink

March 27, 2024
This demo shows how to enroll LTE-M and Wi-Fi evaluation boards with AWS IoT Core, set up a Connected Health Solution as well as AWS AT commands and AWS IoT ExpressLink security...

How to Quickly Leverage Bluetooth AoA and AoD for Indoor Logistics Tracking

March 27, 2024
Real-time asset tracking is an important aspect of Industry 4.0. Various technologies are available for deploying Real-Time Location.

Comments

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Electronic Design, create an account today!