Fujitsu Unveils New FM4 Family of 32-bit Microcontrollers based on the ARM Cortex-M4F processor core

The new FM4 family consists of a total of 84 MCUs and samples will be made available from July. The devices build on Fujitsu’s popular FM3 family, offering increased computational performance, enhanced peripheral functionality and an easy-to-use design.

FM4 MCUs in the MB9B560R/460R/360R/160R series can operate from 3 V or 5 V power supplies, and offer a range of memory options that includes SRAM, NOR flash, NAND flash and SDRAM. The MCUs feature an ultra-wide bus for on-chip flash memory that enables read access with no CPU wait state, so as to accelerate processing and reduce power requirements.

The Cortex-M4 core incorporates DSP and FPU functions that provide the power required for advanced computation. Algorithms for operating on-chip flash memory have been redesigned for greater speed and lower power consumption. The current required to run the real-time clock (RTC) and power the device via the dedicated VBAT pin can be limited to approximately 1.5 µA, making these high-performance MCUs useful even for standby power-conscious applications. The devices support a total of 100,000 rewrite cycles and data retention of up to 20 years.

“With our FM3 family, we have one of the broadest line-ups for MCUs based on the ARM® Cortex™-M3,” says Wolf Fronauer, Marketing Manager at Fujitsu Semiconductor Europe. “The new FM4 family offers our customers even more performance and peripheral functionality while seamlessly integrating with our existing portfolio of FM3 MCUs. This means customers can select highly optimized embedded microcontrollers that are an exact match for virtually any set of embedded application requirements, all without leaving the FM ecosystem. Later this year, we will launch the FM0+ family: based on ARM® Cortex™-M0+, this rounds off the portfolio by adding support for low-cost and ultra-low-power applications.”

Precise, fully-featured analogue circuitry, plus enhanced timer and communications functionality
The FM4 family also includes new peripheral functionality and enhances existing functions. The analogue circuitry in previous versions has now been redesigned. New trimming functions deliver internal oscillator accuracy of ±2 percent. The D/A converter can achieve 12-bit resolution and the 12-bit A/D converter operates at twice the speed of previous versions. The multifunction timer for three-phase motors also features a number of enhanced functions, such as support for asymmetric PWM waveform output and multiple A/D start triggers. The minimum timing resolution possible is 6.25 nanoseconds, while enhanced timer functions and an improved A/D converter enable high-precision motor control and improvements to energy efficiency.

To accelerate SPI communications, clock rates of up to 20 MHz are supported, and MCUs can also support variable data lengths of up to 16 bits. Redesigned communications IP with DSTC (Descriptor System data Transfer Controller) improves high-speed serial data communications, and DSTC functionality also reduces the CPU’s workload and software overhead.

Functional safety is becoming increasingly important for industrial and consumer applications. To support software design in this field and facilitate certification, FM4 microcontrollers feature a range of hardware functions such as ECC (Error Correction Code) Flash, CRC and MPU (Memory Protection Unit).

Full microcontroller line-up
The new FM4 series versions will be packaged in LQFPs and BGAs, with bulk volumes available later this summer. The FM4 line-up will be expanded throughout 2013, with new devices featuring lower pin counts, higher-capacity flash, Ethernet MAC for networked automation devices, and I2S/HDMI-CEC for consumer applications.

Since launching the FM3 family in 2010, Fujitsu Semiconductor has sought to offer a microcontroller line-up that is reliable, easy to deploy and offers clear specifications. The company has already brought more than 570 products to market, delivering solutions tailored to a wide range of applications.

Later this year, Fujitsu Semiconductor plans to release the FM0+ family of microcontrollers for low-cost, ultra-low power applications. Since the FM4, FM3, and FM0+ families are equipped with the latest Cortex-M series cores, users can select products optimised for a very wide range of applications, with transitioning between device types supported by the compatibility of the instruction sets.