Embedded System Product News

8-bit Microcontrollers with LIN-compatible UARTs from Fujitsu

Frankfurt , May 12 th 2003 - Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe (FME) today introduced two cost-effective 8-bit microcontrollers for automotive body-control module subsystems.

Local Interconnect Network
The MB89210 series of F 2MC controllers includes Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) capabilities that support the Automotive standard for Local Interconnect Network (LIN). LIN, along with the Controller Area Network (CAN), has emerged as a de facto, low-cost communications standard for in-vehicle networks.

The new MB89210 series provides the ability to connect together digital equipment such as audio speakers and minidisk players. LIN is an inexpensive, reliable automotive-grade local area network. LIN-compatible networks can include automobile climate sensors, remote air-conditioning temperature and airflow controls, and other analogue equipment.

Wide Operating Conditions
The MCUs can operate using either internal or external clocks based on a crystal or ceramic resonator. If a failure of the external clock occurs, the controller can automatically switch to its internal source, so the CPU continues to function.

The MB89210 series accepts a wide range of power sources from 3.5V to 5.5V, so the MCUs remain reliable even when the power supply fluctuates.

The minimum instruction execution time is 0.32 microseconds at 12.5 MHz. All versions of the series include a full complement of timers and an 8-channel A-to-D converter. Memory options include 512 Bytes of RAM, 16 Kbytes of ROM and 16 Kbytes of OTPROM.

"Two in-vehicle network technologies - CAN and LIN - have become widely accepted standards in automotive applications primarily to enhance safety and customer comfort," said Dirk Weinsziehr, Senior Marketing Director Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe. "Fujitsu has ... developed a wide range of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit MCUs for automotive applications that require either CAN or LIN capabilities."

About Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe
Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe is a major supplier of semiconductor products to the European and global market. The company's main business focus is on providing systems solutions to the automotive, multimedia, networking/telecommunications and mobile communications markets.

Fujitsu offers a broad range of semiconductor devices, including telecommunications ICs, RF devices, MPEG encoders and decoders, microcontrollers, graphic display controllers and microprocessors, FCRAMs and Flash memory. The company is also a leader in colour plasma display panels