TechBlog

Our design team was asked to develop a wireless system to demonstrate a triaxial accelerometer (Freescale MMA7260QT). The goal was to replace the serial cable of the original RD3112MMA7260Q (STAR) demo by a wireless connection using the latest Freescale technology to transfer accelerometer values from sensor to PC in real time.

Key features of the wireless demo include:

• Very small footprint (both hardware and software)
• Low power
• Battery powered
• 20 meter wireless range
• Printed wire antenna
• Real-time response
• Low cost
• May be used as a reference design

Continue reading ‘Ultra-low-power Wireless Designs white paper offers step-by-step guidance’ »

Latest additions to KA MCU family designed to enhance integration and performance for consumer and industrial applications

Freescale Semiconductor has added two devices to its ultra-low-end 8-bit RS08KA microcontroller (MCU) family. Freescale’s MC9RS08KA8 (KA8) and MC9RS08KA4 (KA4) MCUs are designed for applications with space and price constraints, such as home appliances and portable medical equipment.

The MC9RS08KA8/4 devices offer a robust support environment and a pin-compatible route into MC9S08QG/SH and MC9S08QA4/2 devices for designers who need to add new functionality to their designs. Shared peripherals and a common set of development tools help make the KA8/4 devices easy for engineers to leverage for their design investment.

The KA8/4 devices feature standard on-chip modules including a very small and highly efficient RS08 CPU core, up to 254B RAM,, up to 8KB flash and an analog-to-digital (ADC) converter (available on the KA8), providing customers with a higher level of integration.

Continue reading ‘Freescale 8-bit microcontroller family grows to address entry-level mass market’ »

Freescale has launched the ColdFire V1 core, which it claims blends 32bit performance with the ease of use of an 8bit microcontroller. The move is a response to increasing performance and memory requirements in such applications as medical, industrial and motor control.
The 68K/ColdFire V1 core will provide the engine for 32bit devices that are not only compatible with 8bit microcontrollers – allowing easy migration between architectures – but which also use the same peripheral modules and development tools as products based on the S08 architecture.
“The 68K/ColdFire V1 core is Freescale’s next step in delivering the Controller Continuum, our roadmap for 8 and 32bit product compatibility that will give designers the ability to move effortlessly between 8 and 32bit microcontrollers,” said Mike McCourt, vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Microcontroller Division.
Early supporters of the 68K/ColdFire V1 core include Opto 22, a developer of hardware and software products for applications in industrial automation and remote monitoring.
Matt Chang, Opto 22’s engineering manager, said: “The introduction of the V1 core will allow us to use both 8 and 32bit technology in a formerly 8bit only space, without the development discontinuities imposed by multiple architectures.”
The 68K/ColdFire V1 core has the lowest power consumption of any 68K/ColdFire product to date, while offering more performance than 8bit microcontrollers.
The V1 core uses the S08 bus structure, which enables the use of similar peripheral and memory modules. For package pin compatibility, the V1 uses the S08’s single pin background debug mode to create simple interface configuration.
Freescale intends to introduce multiple products based on the 68K/ColdFire V1 core throughout 2007