Sharp Microelectronics Expands BlueStreak Microcontroller Line with Mass Production of ARM-based 16/32-Bit Family
General Purpose BlueStreak Microcontrollers Anticipate Integration
Needs of Design Engineers and Streamline
Migration to ARM(TM)-based Parts
CAMAS, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 24, 2003--
Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas today announces the mass
production shipment of its BlueStreak(TM) family of ARM(TM)-based
16/32-bit general-purpose microcontrollers (MCUs).
The four new MCUs combine high integration with an ARM7TDMI-S(TM)
core to meet the needs of engineers designing applications in
industrial control, white goods, smart appliances, marine
applications, smart toys, PDAs and smart phones.
With this line, Sharp provides four unique microcontrollers with
the performance of 32-bit ARM7TDMI-S cores, yet requiring only 16-bit
designed circuit boards and memory devices, saving in system design
costs. The 16-bit external addressing makes these microcontrollers
ideal for use in 16-bit applications that require higher performance
at the price of a standard 16-bit microcontroller. In addition, the
parts offer high functionality including the capability to drive color
or grayscale LCD displays and support CAN 2.0B connectivity.
"Our general-purpose 16/32-bit microcontrollers based on ARM7
technology provide system engineers with access to a wide range of
cost-effective development tools and software operating systems, which
streamline design tasks and dramatically shorten time-to-market," said
Terry Thomas, Sharp's director of microcontroller and system-on-chip
marketing. "As engineers' designs require more advanced ARM-based
products, these general purpose 16/32 bit units provide flexible reuse
and a clear migration path toward more advanced technology."
The four BlueStreak MCUs are designed to meet specific customer
requirements for speed, support, performance, power consumption and
functionality. Built on the ARM7TDMI-S architecture, the BlueStreak
products offer extensive third-party support as well as a pathway from
proprietary 8- and 16-bit MCU architectures to a more widely supported
ARM architecture. In addition to these architectural advantages, the
four specialized BlueStreak MCUs provide a wide range of functionality
that simplifies system development and reduces time to market.
Two of the microcontrollers, LH75400 and LH75401, include support
for CAN 2.0B. CAN is a robust protocol ideal for implementing command,
control, and communications in electrically noisy environments, such
as industrial control applications. The LH75400 includes CAN support
with a grayscale LCD Controller and the LH75401 includes CAN support
with a Color LCD Controller. For applications not utilizing CAN, Sharp
offers the LH75410 with a Grayscale LCD Controller and the LH75411
with a Color LCD Controller.
The Color LCD Controllers on the LH75401 and LH75411 support a
wide range of LCD displays (STN, CSTN, TFT, HR-TFT) including Sharp's
Advanced TFT (AD-TFT) with up to 4096 colors. Other key features
included within the family are an 8-input 10-bit Analog to Digital
Converter with integrated touch screen controller, 32KB of on-chip
SRAM, a Vectored Interrupt Controller to speed the serving of
interrupts, three UARTs, Synchronous Serial Port, three 16-bit
Counter/Timers with Capture, Compare and PWM logic, Watchdog Timer and
Low Voltage Detector. All parts operate up to 50 MHz at 3.3 V over the
industrial temperature range of -40 C to +85 C.
Inclusive Development and Debugging Support
Customers designing with the LH75400, LH75401, LH75410, and
LH75411 will be able to draw from an extensive array of software
development tools available for the ARM7TDMI(TM) architecture.
Leveraging Sharp's extensive third party relationships, engineers will
have their choice of development environments ranging from a low-cost
development platform to a high-end application development kit.
Designers will be able to plug in their custom hardware, experiment
with different kinds of memory and evaluate the chip's performance
quickly without having to make their own boards. In addition, Sharp
will offer software, documentation and application notes for the
16/32-bit BlueStreak line, enabling its customers to expedite their
application development.
About Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas
Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas, Camas, Wash., is a
U.S.-based company and a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation,
which is a subsidiary of Sharp Corporation, Osaka, Japan. Sharp is a
worldwide developer of core digital technologies that are playing an
integral role in shaping the next generation of electronic products
for consumer and business needs. Sharp Microelectronics of the
Americas offers breakthrough memory, LCD, opto, CCD, RF/IR,
microcomputer and system-on-chip components, along with packaging and
integration skills that help design engineers throughout North and
South America bring their ambitious ideas to market. Sharp
Microelectronics of the Americas is dedicated to improving people's
lives through the use of advanced technology and a commitment to
innovation, quality, value and design. For more information, visit
www.sharpsma.com.
Note: All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of
their respective companies. ARM7TDMI-S(TM) is a trademark of Advanced
RISC Machines (ARM) Ltd.
CONTACT: Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas
Terry Thomas, 360/834-8002
terry.thomas@sharpusa.com
or
Young & Roehr Group
Ann Steffora, 503/222-0626 ext. 717
asteffora@young-roehr.com
