Silicon Laboratories' 50-MHz 8051F41x integrates up to 32 kbytes of flash memory and 2304 bytes of RAM in a 5- by 5-mm, 28-pin quad flat no-lead (QFN) package. Thanks to the chip's SmaRTClock real-time clock, the MCU can automatically detect power-supply failures and switch to a battery backup that will allow continued operation of the 64-byte backup RAM down to 1 V. The family can have up to a 24-channel, 12-bit, 200-ksample/s analog-to-digital converter, dual 12-bit digital-to-analog converters, and a pair of comparators. Digital peripherals include four 16-bit timers, SPI, I2C, and UART. A 24.5-MHz internal clock is available. Pricing starts at $2.56. Reference kits start at $49. www.silabs.com