8-bit MCUs operate down to 0.9 V

Low-power low-cost devices run from single cell and have up to 64 Kbytes of flash

Enabling portable devices to derive power from a single-cell battery, the C8051F9xx 8-bit microcontroller family’s novel architecture features an integrated high-efficiency dc/dc boost converter. Said to be the industry’s first MCUs capable of operating down to 0.9 V, the devices can supply up to 65 mW of power for both internal and external use, creating a true single-cell battery solution.

The MCU family is also said to be the first to integrate 64 Kbytes of flash and 4 Kbytes of RAM into a 4 x 4 mm package, The devices have a typical sleep-mode current of less than 50 nA, and can wake-up, with the CPU operating at 25 MIPS and ready to make an A/D converter measurement, within 2 µs. Active-mode current is as low as 170 µA/MHz.

The processors have a 10-bit 300-ksample/s A/D converter, a smart RTC, and hardware enhanced UART, SPI and SMBus serial ports. (C8051F9xx, from $1.99 ea/10,000; development kits, $99; daughter cards, $17.90 — available now.)

Silicon Laboratories , Austin , TX
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http://www.silabs.com