Industrial-Grade 32-Bit Performance for Appliances and Other Rugged Applications

Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. is now offering the industry’s first 5V 32-bit MCUs built on the ARM® Cortex™-M0+ processor. The new Kinetis E series MCUs feature electromagnetic noise immunity for systems that traditionally use 8- and 16-bit MCUs, such as white goods and industrial applications, while providing high efficiency and optimal code density.

The new Kinetis E series products are designed for applications such as dishwashers, refrigerators, home and building control systems, motor control fans, industrial converters and other equipment commonly operating in high-noise environments. Leveraging the devices’ robust design and 32-bit processing capabilities, systems designers can use a single device instead of the multiple MCUs previously required. In addition, large-pitch packaging options and high electrostatic discharge protection performance can enable single-layer board designs and reduce the need for additional circuit protection components, leading to lower system cost.

“Historically, 32-bit MCUs have been associated with lower voltage operation and considered unreliable in electromagnetically harsh environments such as factories or even many households,” said Brandon Tolany, vice president of marketing and business development for Freescale’s MCU business. “Kinetis E series MCUs break new ground by combining low cost and high performance with advanced electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection features designed to support compliance with industrial-grade reliability and temperature requirements.”

Freescale offers both hardware features (built into Kinetis E series MCUs) and pre-certified, fault-tolerant software routines engineered to help customers meet the IEC 60730 Class B safety standard for household appliances, which is mandatory in European markets.

Kinetis KE02 MCU features include: EMC and ESD protection features for robust noise immunity and compliance with industrial-grade reliability and temperature requirements; Exceptional electrical fast transient/electrostatic discharge (EFT/ESD) performance; Flash, RAM, register, watchdog and clock tests; 2.7V to 5.5V and across -40 degrees C to +105 degrees C ambient temperature range; ARM Cortex-M0+ core running up to 20 MHz; Single-cycle 32-bit x 32-bit multiplier; Single-cycle I/O access port; Up to 64 KB flash memory; 256 B EEPROM; and up to 4 KB RAM.

The first Kinetis E series device, the 64-pin QFP version of the KE02, is available now. Suggested resale pricing for the KE02 MCU family in 10K unit quantities ranges from 78 cents to $1.13 (USD). The FRDM-KE02Z Freescale Freedom development platform is available now for $12.95 (USD).