Fujitsu Microelectronics Introduces Popular F2MC Microcontroller Series in North America; Will be Highlighted at Booth 128 at Annual Embedded Systems Conference.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 1999--

Fujitsu Microelectronics, Inc. (FMI) will introduce its popular F2MC microcontroller (MCU) product family in North America as part of FMI's product demonstrations at this year's Embedded Systems West Conference in San Jose.

Fujitsu's F2MC series family includes more than 280 different 8-bit and 16-bit microcontroller units that have become widely used through Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe over the past decade. The microcontrollers provide designers with a broad range of performance, memory and peripherals for applications in the automotive, consumer, industrial and computer markets. The devices and associated development tools will be on display at booth 128 at the conference.

"The F2MC family is a complete line of 8-bit and 16-bit MCUs for applications ranging from home appliances to automobiles to industrial systems," said Basheer Ahmed, director of marketing for embedded processor products at FMI. "The series includes cost-effective, proven performers that are designed into a significant number of applications from well-known world-class companies including Canon and Sony Corporation. The controllers represent excellent value for our North American customers."

One customer for the MB89615 microcontroller is Sierra Imaging. "Sierra is always on the lookout for new and compelling technologies and devices," said Barbara Matthews, vice president of marketing at Sierra Imaging. "We felt the MB86915 was a price and performance winner when used in conjunction with our Raptor II chip. Sierra expects that FMI's F2MC product line will address a variety of markets, including digital still cameras."

The F2MC series features a variety of peripheral choices appropriate to a broad range of designs. Nonvolatile memory choices include Flash, mask ROM and OTP (One-Time Programmable) memory. The Flash memory available on many F2MC products is useful for product designs with short life cycles or others that may require field upgrades. Mask ROM offers a low-cost solution for a stable design. The chips also have up to 10 KB of on-board SRAM for short-term memory.

The chips operate at clock speeds ranging from 32 KHz to 64 MHz. Among the most versatile of peripherals in the F2MC family is CAN (Controller Area Network) for automotive and industrial-control applications. LCD controller blocks manage up to 280 segments for text and numeric-data display on instruments, meters and gauges.

Motor control is facilitated by SMC (Stepper Motor Control), inverter control and PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). A/D and D/A blocks allow communication with the analog world. An I2C interface lets chips exchange information directly, eliminating the cost and space of using a system bus. New chips with USB functions enable F2MC microcontrollers to run peripherals that send data to and from PCs.

In addition to these features, almost all the F2MC controllers have timers, counters, UART/serial ports, buzzer output or ICU/OCU (Input Capture/Output Compare) that are required in many applications.

Cost-Efficient for Automotive, Industrial Applications

The F2MC CAN products are ideal for automotive applications, including dashboard gauge control, remote keyless entry, door and window locks, lighting and stereo. CAN is also useful in industrial-control settings, where robust communication of measurements and warning signals is needed.

"The list of applications for this MCU series is long and impressive," said Ahmed. "They can be applied in office systems, for control of security doors, lighting and temperature. DTMF functions are included for cordless phones, and the series is a good choice for power tools and household appliances because they include key motor-control functions."

Consumer products such as digital cameras, answering machines, pagers, credit card readers, vending machines, remote controls, smoke detectors, water heaters, air conditioners and meters also can apply the F2MC family, which operates in extended temperature ranges (up to 105 degrees Celsius) for harsh-environment applications. Members of the family are available in several different package types, including Quad Flat Pack, Low Profile QFP, small outline (SOP) and SQFP to make design easier.

The F2MC microcontroller family prices for 8-bit chips begin at $1 each in 10,000-unit volumes, while 16-bit devices begin at about $3 each in 10,000-piece units.

Fujitsu Microelectronics, Inc. (FMI) designs, manufactures and markets a comprehensive portfolio of semiconductors and electronics devices. For product information, please visit the FMI web site at http:www.fujitsumicro.com or call 1-800-866-8608.