Auto instrument-cluster MCU adds TFT display driver

A novel 16-bit microcontroller is claimed to be the first instrumentation-cluster MCU to feature an integrated thin-film-transistor (TFT) display driver. Developed by Freescale Semiconductor, the MC9S12XHZ512 enables instrumentation-cluster designers to reduce the complexity of their designs and implement high-quality graphic displays on low-end automotive dashboards.

TFT displays—standard fare in laptops, cell phones and other mobile appliances—are gaining momentum in the mainstream automotive market as the technology becomes more cost-effective. Freescale's latest MCU addresses the instrumentation-cluster market, and TFT applications in particular.

Featuring the enhanced S12X core, the S12XHZ512 provides a high-performance, backward-compatible extension to the established S12HZ. The S12XHZ512 is upwardly code-compatible with the HCS12 family, enabling developers with previous systems based on the HCS12 to reuse design tools for their new S12XHZ512-based applications.