Motorola Expands Microcontroller Family for Space-limited Industrial Applications

Chip and board size can be a critical factor in embedded systems for building automation, climate and lighting control, machine and factory control and automotive electronics and motor control. The advanced MCUs come in small 32- and 48-pin packages while still offering a high level of integration.

Conlego Elektronik AB, a Swedish developer and producer of electronics, uses Motorola's chips to design its products ranging from single boards to complete systems. "Motorola's on-chip CAN-based controller gives us a higher level of reliability," said Markku Penttila, managing director and owner of Conlego Elektronik. "These new chips provide a compact design with flash and in-application programming (IAP), enabling us to deliver high-quality, environmentally-friendly heat pumps and key handling systems.

CAN has gained widespread use in industrial automation and motor control with industry experts estimating more than 150 million network devices are connected with this protocol. One of the chief CAN features is the ability to allow one component of a distributed network to talk to another with minimal reliance on a central computer. Controller area networks have become the networking protocol of choice for many industry applications, such as packaging machinery, as well as manufacturers of agricultural equipment and medical devices.

Features

Both the 68HC908GZ8 and 68HC908GZ16 are based upon Motorola's high-performance 8-bit HC08 architecture and are compatible with the 6805, 146805 and 68HC05 families. The devices feature CAN modules with 8K and 16K bytes of flash memory, respectively. The 68HC908GZ16 has two16-bit timers, enhanced serial communications interface (SCI) suitable for local interconnect networks (LIN), serial peripheral interface (SPI) and features 3.3-volt or 5-volt operation. These chips also offer system protection features including, computer operating properly (COP) and low voltage detection to prevent the flash memory from being over written or corrupted.

To complement its line of CAN MCUs, Motorola offers a CAN system basis chip, the MC33989, which integrates the CAN physical interface, voltage regulator and other power functions onto one small chip. The combination of the MC33989 with the advanced 68HC908GZ8 or 68HC908GZ16 offers customers a comprehensive CAN solution with just two chips.

Price and Availability

The 68HC908GZ8 and 68HC908GZ16 are available immediately. Suggested list price in 10,000-piece quantities for the 68HC908GZ8 32-lead low quad flat package (LQFP) starts at $3.40 (USD). In the 48-lead LQFP, suggested list pricing starts at $3.60 (USD). The 68HC908GZ16 starts at suggested list prices of $4.00 (USD) for the 32 LQFP and $4.20 (USD) for the 48 LQFP.

To complement the company's technology solutions, Motorola offers customers access to a wide range of services, including a comprehensive Web site, access to software libraries, example application code, hardware and software development tools, comprehensive technical documentation, online training and other engineering support. These services make it easier for customers to design, develop, debug and get products to market faster.

About Motorola Semiconductors

As the world's #1 producer of embedded processors, Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector creates DigitalDNA(tm) system-on-chip solutions for a connected world. Our strong focus on wireless communications and networking enables customers to develop smarter, simpler, safer and synchronized products for the person, work team, home and automobile. Motorola's worldwide semiconductor sales were $4.8 billion (USD) in 2002. For more information please visit http://www.motorola.com/semiconductors

About Motorola

Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated communications and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 2002 were $26.7 billion. Motorola is a global corporate citizen dedicated to ethical business practices and pioneering important technologies that make things smarter and life better for people, honored traditions that began when the company was founded 75 years ago this year. For more information, please visit: www.motorola.com

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