Flash Microcontroller Family Breaks 1 µA Barrier

Touted as the industry's first family of flash microcontrollers to break the 1-µA power dissipation barrier, the MSP430F4xx MCUs serve as complete systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) for battery-powered measurement applications, such as utility meters and sport watches. The chips combine ultra-low power, high-performance analog circuitry and a 16-bit RISC CPU. The familyÕs first two devices are the MSP430F413 with 8 KB of ultra-low power flash memory and the MSP430F412 with 4 KB of memory. When active, the ICs consume less than 250 µA per MIPS. In standby mode, less than 800 nA of current (typ.) is dissipated. The MCUs pack an active crystal oscillator, timer and LCD driver. The patented frequency locked loop (FLL) and digitally-controlled oscillator provide a system wake-up with a stable high-speed system clock in less than 6 µs, enabling the system to remain in a battery-saving standby mode up to 1,000 times longer than competing MCUs. A single 32-kHz watch crystal with no external components drives the entire clock system, reducing high frequency EMI by eliminating a second high-speed crystal. The two new MCUs come in 64-pin QFP packages and are priced at $2.90 each/1,000 for the MSP430F413 and $2.55 for the MSP430F412. Plans for later this year call for additional MSP430F4xx family members that will offer high-speed data converters, flexible serial ports, expanded LCD drive capability, and additional memory options.