16-Bit Platform Assimilates High-End 8-Bit and Reaches into Low-End 32-Bit Performance for Increased Design Flexibility at Reduced Cost

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — November 5, 2001 — In anticipation of the increasing rate of market migration from 8- to 16-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) and beyond, the Electronic Device Group of Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA, Inc., announced two new MCU product families that expand the company’s standard 16-bit platform, addressing designer demand for platform MCUs that increase design flexibility and reduce system development time and costs. By using the same core, code, and package configuration of Mitsubishi Electric’s current M16C 16-bit MCU family, its newest M16C/10 and M32C/83 MCUs bridge the cost/performance gap generally found at the high end of 8-bit and the low end of 32-bit MCUs without expensive and time-consuming redesign.

Mitsubishi Electric has developed this expanded 16-bit MCU platform to represent a broad range of processors that offer consistency and design flexibility in pin assignments, flash memory sizes, and code and design reusability throughout many customer design cycles.

The lower-end of this 16-bit platform addresses the great market demand for general-purpose 8-bit MCUs with small packages and superior processing abilities. The M16C/10 is a low-cost, high-performance MCU with a miniaturized package, designed to bridge the void between the 8- and 16-bit markets. Similarly, in the high-performance 16-bit MCU market, M32C/83 performance and capabilities extend into the low-end 32-bit market.

"By expanding our 16-bit MCU platform at both ends of the performance scale, we’re able to offer cost-effective, flexible solutions to designers for improved time-to-market," said Richard Sessions, director of embedded systems for Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA, Inc. "Our M16C/10 enables 8-bit customers to cost-effectively upgrade to 16-bit performance and high-level C programming capability. After the initial 16-bit design, customers can reduce their time-to-market for successive platform designs by up to 40 percent."

With this extended 16-bit platform, Mitsubishi Electric strengthens its worldwide lead in the 16-bit MCU market. The basis of this standing is the powerful M16C family, renowned for high performance, high C-code efficiency, low power consumption, flash memory, and low EMI/EMS.

Optimized for industrial, general consumer and automotive body control applications, the M16C/10 adopts Mitsubishi Electric’s 16-bit M16C core. In addition to the M16C’s built-in high processing ability, it streamlines peripherals to reduce package size and cost, as demanded by design engineers.

The M32C/83 family meets the demand for higher 16-bit performance, faster speed and greater functionality for portable device, automotive, and industrial applications. It is designed to operate at 30 MHz with controller area network (CAN) functionality and high-level data link control. By maintaining the same instruction set, peripheral functions, and configuration, it is compatible with the M16C family, enabling designers to replace the M16C with the M32C/83 when they require higher performance.

Packaging and Availability
Mitsubishi Electric’s M16C/10 is available in 32- and 48-pin LQFP and 42-pin SSOP packages. The M32C/83 is available in 100- and 144-pin QFP packages.

Samples of the M16C/10 are available now, with volume production scheduled for the first quarter of 2002. Samples of the M32C/83 will be available in the first quarter of 2002, with volume production scheduled for the following quarter.

M16C/10 Notable Features:

• High-function, high-speed M16C/60 16-bit CPU core
• Flash memory: 16-, 24-, and 48-Kbytes
• RAM: 1- and 2-Kbytes
• Short execute time: 62.5ns (f(Xin=16MHz time)
• 8-bit time registers: 4
• 16-bit time register: 1
• 10-bit ADC, 8-bit DAC

• High-function, high-speed M16C/60 16-bit CPU core
• Flash memory: 128- to 512-Kbytes
• RAM: 31 Kbytes
• Minimum execution speed: 33 ns (at 30 MHz)
• Time counter functions (on same MCU): 12 channels
• PWM: 28 channels
• ADC: 10-bit (2 independent circuits)
• DAC: 8-bit (2 independent circuits)

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About Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA, Inc.
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is a top-10 semiconductor supplier and ranks among the top-five worldwide suppliers of 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers. The company designs and manufactures powerful embedded MCU platforms for embedded industrial control, automotive, consumer entertainment, and communications applications. Mitsubishi’s MCU products include the number one global selling 16-bit, M16C platform — a feature-rich, low-noise, ultra-low power, and code-efficient core that easily scales across customers’ end-product lines. Mitsubishi also offers 8-, 16-, and 32-bit point solution MCU platforms including USB; Flash-Over-USB™; CAN; LIN; and keyboard, battery, and LCD control.

Mitsubishi Electric also offers an extensive range of semiconductor and system components for the North American marketplace, including optoelectronic, microwave/RF, ASIC, ASSP, and memory ICs and modules. Additional information on the Mitsubishi Electric Semiconductor Group is available at www.mitsubishichips.com.

Trademark Information
Mitsubishi and the Mitsubishi logo are registered trademarks of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in the USA, Japan and other countries. All other companies and products referenced herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Keywords
Mitsubishi, M16C, M32C, microcontroller, MCU.