8-bit MCUs Target Appliance, Consumer and Industrial Marts

Claiming to lower overall system cost while improving performance, the new 8-bit 68HC908 flash MCU family is targeted at designers of appliance, consumer products and industrial equipment. The 68HC908GT16 and 68HC908GT8 integrate low-cost flash memory--16 KB and 8 KB, respectively--for in-circuit and in-application programming flexibility, along with several analog functions, including a highly accurate internal clock generator that eliminates the need for external clock sources. These features reduce the number of components in electronic systems, increasing reliability and reducing system costs. The MCUs include an enhanced serial communications interface (ESCI) that provides support for Local Interconnect Network (LIN) applications--LIN is a low-cost, serial communications protocol for use in distributed networks in vehicles, as well as in radar detectors, industrial and home lighting equipment, home appliances, and sensors. Other MCU features include: 512 bytes RAM; dual two-channel 16-bit timers with programmable PWMs; 8-channel, 8-bit A/D converter; synchronous serial peripheral interface (SPI); up to 36 I/O; timebase module with auto wake-up from STOP mode; operating temperature range of -40°C to 85°C; and low voltage inhibit (LVI) with selectable 3V and 5V trip points. Pricing of the new 8-bit MCUs in 44-lead QFPs or 42-pin SDIPs is $4 each/10K for the GT16 and $3.50 for the GT8. MOTOROLA SPS, Austin, TX. (512) 895-2000.