NEC Debuts 32-Bit RISC MCU with DSP Functionality and Flash; V854 Integration Reduces Board Space with High-Peripheral Integration.SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 11, 1996--NEC Electronics Inc. today introduced its next generation high-speed 32-bit RISC RISC in full Reduced Instruction Set Computing Computer architecture that uses a limited number of instructions. RISC became popular in microprocessors in the 1980s. microcontroller, the V854, featuring on-chip DSP (1) (Digital Signal Processor) A special-purpose CPU used for digital signal processing applications (see definition #2 below). It provides ultra-fast instruction sequences, such as shift and add, and multiply and add, which are commonly used in math-intensive functionality with flash memory. The V854 microcontroller is the latest in the V850 family of RISC microcontrollers from NEC (NEC Corporation, Tokyo, www.nec.com, www.necus.com) An electronics conglomerate known in the U.S. for its monitors. In Japan, it had the lion's share of the PC market until the late 1990s (see PC 98). NEC was founded in Tokyo in 1899 as Nippon Electric Company, Ltd. , which puts high-speed and peripheral integration on a low-voltage, low-power device. The microcontroller's performance is 38 VAX MIPS at 33 megahertz One million cycles per second. See MHz. MegaHertz - (MHz) Millions of cycles per second. The unit of frequency used to measure the clock rate of modern digital logic, including microprocessors. (MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. ) using 118 milliwatts (mW) of power and delivering more than 300 MIPS/watt. "The V854 microcontroller addresses the requirements of customers designing low-power electronic applications who have in the past had to use separate DSP chips for their designs," said Warren Wong, product marketing engineer for NEC Electronics Inc. "Now, this single-chip solution allows them to reduce board space and costs while still maintaining high performance." With such low power consumption, this fully static device is ideal for portable embedded applications such as wireless modems, two-way messaging, cellular communications, digital voice and image processing, digital still cameras and camcorders. Its high performance makes the V854 microcontroller well suited for applications such as printers and mass-storage peripherals, automotive navigation and engine control systems. V854 Technical Information The V854 uses the cell-based, V850 32-bit RISC core. The five-stage pipeline of the V850 core allows for single-cycle execution speeds as fast as 30 nanoseconds (ns). Integrated in the core is a 16x16 hardware multiplier unit that allows the multiply-accumulate (MAC) function to execute in three clock cycles. The device is currently available in two varieties: a device with 128 kilobytes (KB) of flash ROM (PD70F3008Y) and a lower priced 128-KB mask ROM version (PD703008Y). Both feature 4 KB of SRAM See static RAM. SRAM - static random-access memory . The flash version enables designers to perform in-system programming of devices -- for product development upgrades and feature enhancements -- while the mask ROM version enables manufacturers to switch to a lower cost device as production volumes increase. This 32-bit microcontroller uses NEC's leading-edge 0.35-micron (0.28 effective) CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Pronounced "c-moss." The most widely used integrated circuit design. It is found in almost every electronic product from handheld devices to mainframes. process technology, which enables the device to operate up to 33 MHz with an operating voltage of only 3 volts (V). On-chip Peripherals The V854 provides a wide array of standard on-chip peripherals. When combined with the integrated MAC function, the device offers an efficient, cost-effective solution for applications such as wireless communications and embedded multimedia systems that require low- to mid-range DSPs. Various serial communication functions are offered through the Universal Asynchronous Refers to events that are not synchronized, or coordinated, in time. The following are considered asynchronous operations. The interval between transmitting A and B is not the same as between B and C. The ability to initiate a transmission at either end. Receiver Transmitter (UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) The electronic circuit that makes up the serial port. Also known as "universal serial asynchronous receiver transmitter" (USART), it converts parallel bytes from the CPU into serial bits for transmission, and vice ) and several clocked serial interface peripherals. An Inter IC (I2C I2C Inter-Integrated Circuit I2C Intelligent Interface Controller I2C Intelligent Controller ) port provides standard hardware control of inter-chip communications. The 24-bit and 16-bit multifunctional timers provide programmable pulse generation, measurement and timer/counter functions. An event driven, real-time output port along with a high-resolution, 16-bit pulse-width modulation (PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) A modulation technique that generates variable-width pulses to represent the amplitude of an analog input signal. Like its fixed-width pulse density modulation (PDM) cousin, the output switching transistor is on more of the time for a ) port provides the designer with various methods to control external servo motors and peripherals. Combined with the 8-bit A/D converter and the power saving mode feature, the V854 device is well equipped to handle the needs of low-power, consumer electronics applications. The V800 Series The V800 Series of microcontroller and microprocessor products is based on NEC's 32-bit RISC architecture for embedded applications. Earlier members of the series include the V851, V852, V853, and V830, delivering a performance range of 29 VAX MIPS at 25 MHz to 118 VAX MIPS at 100 MHz. Peripheral integration is a key feature of the V800 Series. Beyond the offerings of standard products, the V800 Series supports the needs of the customer-defined, system-on-a-chip integration. The V854 will soon be available as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "a-sick." A chip that is custom designed for a specific application rather than a general-purpose chip such as a microprocessor. core, joining the other family members in providing solutions where incorporation of a microcontroller core, user-defined logic and DRAM integration are required. Software Development Tools NEC offers a variety of software development tools for the V800 Series, including integrated development environments, C compilers, debuggers, simulators, in-circuit emulators and Real Time Operating System A master control program that can provide immediate response to input signals and transactions. See real time system and embedded Linux. (RTOS (1) (RealTime Operating System) An operating system designed for use in a real time computer system. See real time system, embedded system, process control and OS-9. ). These tools run on a variety of platforms, including PCs and engineering workstations. The V850 family is also supported by a number of third-party development tools. Pricing, Packaging, and Availability The initial V854 product offering will include a flash version (PD70F3008Y) and a mask ROM version (PD703008Y), both packaged in a 144-pin plastic quad flat package See PQFP. (PQFP (Plastic Quad Flat Package) Refers to many varieties of QFP chip packages, which are molded in plastic. See QFP. ). The devices are slated for availability in sample quantities in January 1997 with mass production expected in mid-1997. The flash version sample pricing and mask ROM version pricing are expected to be $41.00 and $17.00 respectively, in low volume. Pricing and availability are subject to change. NEC's Embedded Microcontrollers NEC is one of the world's largest manufacturers of microcontrollers and microprocessors for embedded applications.(1) The company offers a broad range of products from 4-, 8-, 16- and 32-bit MCUs to 64-bit MIPS-based RISC microprocessors. About NEC NEC Electronics Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., manufactures and markets an extensive line of electronic products including ASICs, microprocessors and microcontrollers, 3D graphics accelerators, digital signal processors (DSPs), memories and components including flat-panel displays. In 1995, the company ranked fourth in semiconductor sales in the U.S.(2) The company operates a 676,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Roseville, Calif. NEC Electronics Inc. is an affiliate of NEC Corporation (NIPNY), a $41 billion international manufacturer of computer, communications and semiconductor products. -0- Note to Editors: V800, V851, V852, V853, V854 and VRSeries are trademarks of NEC Corporation. I2C is a trademark of NV Philips. All other trademarks are registered trademarks of their respective companies. (1) According to Semico Research Corp. (2) According to Dataquest CONTACT: NEC Electronics Inc. Vanessa Gonzales, 408/588-6187 (Press) vanessa_gonzales@el.nec.com Literature Hotline: 800/366-9782 or Cohn & Wolfe Dawn Cotterell, 310/226-3040 dawn_cotterell@cohnwolfe.com |
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