MCUs provide 32-bit performance at 8-bit prices

28th February 2014

Nat Bowers

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At embedded world 2014, Infineon has announced volume production of its XMC1000 microcontrollers that offer 32-bit performance at 8-bit prices. Utilising the ARM Cortex-M0 processor, the MCUs are consistently optimised in line with their target applications: sensor and actuator applications, LED lighting, simple motor drives and digital power conversion.

With the new VQFN packages featuring 24 pins and 40 pins, Infineon is extending its portfolio for XMC1000 industrial microcontrollers, which currently includes more than 30 products. XMC1000 microcontrollers in the VQFN-24 package are only 4x4mm in size. No one in the market currently offers this much functionality in such a small package, such as for example up to 200KB flash memory and application-optimized control peripherals. This makes the XMC1000 microcontrollers ideally suited for motor drives as well as sensor and actuator applications that need to have a highly compact design. In addition to the VQFN packages, the XMC1000 MCUs are also available in TSSOP packages with 16, 28 and 38 pins.

The XMC1000 family addresses industrial applications which, to date, were reserved for 8-bit MCUs. The three series XMC1100 (Entry series), XMC1200 (Feature series) and XMC1300 (Control series) differ essentially in terms of their memory capacity and peripheral set. Their flash sizes range between 8KB and 200KB, which is a far broader memory range than is usual today for 8-bit MCUs used in industrial applications. In addition, the XMC1000 MCUs feature high-performance PWM timers, 12-bit A/D converters and programmable serial communication interfaces. All XMC1200 derivatives feature e.g. a module for touch control and LED displays and a peripheral unit for the dimming and colour control of LEDs – otherwise known as the Brightness and Colour Control Unit. The XMC1300 series has a mathematical coprocessor specifically for motor drive controls.

Maurizio Skerlj, Senior Director, Industrial and Multimarket Microcontrollers at Infineon Technologies, comments: “With the XMC1000 microcontrollers, Infineon is creating a decisive incentive for switching architecture from 8 to 32 bit – particularly for motor drives, sensor and actuator applications that need to be highly compact. No rival microcontroller of the XMC1000 in a VQFN-24 package currently offers this much functionality in such a confined space.”

Infineon will also be presenting highly compact VQFN (Very Thin Quad Flat No Leads) package variants for the XMC1000 family and providing information on their free ARM Microcontroller Development Kit.