Philips Delivers Industry's First 32-Bit ARM7TDMI-S-Based Microcontroller Family Using 0.18 Micron Flash Process.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Embedded Systems Conference San Francisco 2003

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 2003

Philips Offers New High Performance, Low-Cost Solution in a

48-pin Chip Scale Package 

Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG)(AEX:PHI) today announced the delivery of the semiconductor industry's first 32-bit ARM7TDMI-S(TM) processor core microcontrollers utilizing 0.18 micron CMOS embedded Flash process. The 0.18-micron Flash process enables low 1.8V voltage operation and the industry's highest embedded Flash performance, which is well suited to real-time applications such as automotive, medical, networking, Internet connectivity, and battery-powered consumer products. Targeting 16/32-bit microcontroller designs, the LPC2100 family expands Philips' broad microcontroller portfolio and gives customers a smooth low-cost migration path from 8-bit and 16-bit to 32-bit microcontrollers.

Optimized for both high performance and low power, the LPC2100 family operates at 60MHz (54 Dhrystone MIPs) and features 128-bit wide zero wait-state Flash, unlike competing solutions whose performance is limited due to multiple wait-state Flash. This zero wait-state Flash performance is ideal for real-time embedded applications. Philips selected the ARM7TDMI-S core with Real-Time Monitor and Real-Time Trace as the heart of its new LPC2100 family to allow customers to take advantage of broad industry support for the core with currently available software applications and tools from third party vendors. The LPC2100 microcontroller family is based on a common system architecture approach with the same memory map, vectored interrupt controller, Flash programming and updating mechanism, peripheral complement, and debugging and emulation facilities common to all ARM family members.

"The reason we chose the LPC2100 family for our V.32bis soft-modem application," said Brendan Murphy, chief technology officer at Innovada, "is the superb performance and the completely predictable timing not found in the competing solutions. The familiar processor core and third-party tools allowed us to maximize our software and hardware re-use. Finally, the small footprint of the 48-pin LQFP and the low-price were absolutely essential for us."

"By integrating the ARM core with high-performance embedded Flash memory, Philips is strengthening its position as a leading supplier of embedded controllers, and will broaden the application of current and future generations of ARM processor cores," said Alistair Greenhill, director of marketing, ARM Development Systems. "The inclusion of Embedded Trace Macrocell(TM) technology on silicon enables the full power of the ARM RealView debug tools to be applied to rapid product development."

Features of the new LPC2100 family

The LPC2100 family: LPC2104, LPC2105, and LPC2106 will feature 16 to 64KB of SRAM.

The LPC2104 is equipped with:

-- 128KB 60 MHz zero wait-state Flash Program Memory, 16KB of SRAM

-- Real-Time Clock, Watchdog, PLL, PWMs

-- I2C, SPI, 2 UARTs

-- Timers, system supervisory features, full EmbeddedICE-RT(TM) and ETM(TM) (Embedded Trace Macrocell).

-- Flash In-system Programming and Updating Boot-block Software and the ARM Real-Time Monitor on-chip

-- Small footprint packages -- 48-pin LQFP and 48-pad MicroLeadFrame(TM) (HVQFN).

CAN, ADC, Ethernet, USB, 802.11, and others are planned for future members of the family. Higher RAM content devices, the LPC2105 and LPC2106, have 32KB and 64KB RAM, respectively are suited for large stacks required for TCP/IP and other connectivity related applications.

"Just as the 80C51 has become the workhorse of the 8-bit MCU market, we believe the LPC2100, with the industry-standard ARM7TDMI-S core embedded with the Philips 0.18-micron Flash, will fulfill the needs of a broad range of applications in the 32-bit MCU market," said Geoff Lees, director of marketing, Microcontroller Business Line, Philips Semiconductors.

The LPC2100 family is supported by efficient tools and development support environments provided by tool partners including ARM, Ashling, Hitex, Keil Software, Nohau and Phytec. This offers the market solutions that enable rapid, low cost, low risk development.

Pricing and Availability

The LPC2104, LPC2105, and LPC2106 are currently available in volume with pricing starting at less than $5 in 10,000 unit quantity for the LPC2104, around $6 in a 10,000 unit quantity for the LPC2105, and less than $8 in a 10,000 unit quantity for the LPC2106.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of $30.1 billion (EUR 31.8 billion) in 2002. It is a global leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, and one-chip TV products. Its 170,000 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances, components, semiconductors, and medical systems. Philips is quoted on the NYSE (symbol: PHG), London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock exchanges. News from Philips is located at www.semiconductors.philips.com