Freescale 8-bit microcontroller family grows to address entry-level mass market

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

AUSTIN, Texas.– 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.

9RS08KA8/4 key

* RS08 core
* 8/4 KB flash memory
* 254/126B RAM
* 1.8-volt to 5.5-volt supply
* Inter-Integrated circuit (IIC) bus module capable of operating up to 100 kbps with maximum bus loading
* 2-channel 16-bit timer
* 12-channel 10-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADC)
* 2x 8-bit modulo timer (MTIM)
* 8-channel keyboard interrupts (KBI)
* Analog comparator (ACMP)
* Internal clock source (ICS)
* Available in 16-pin and 20-pin packages
* 14/18 GPIO

Speeding system development
To help customers speed and simplify development, Freescale offers a complimentary Special Edition of its CodeWarrior® development studio with a C compiler, optimized for RS08 core MCUs, such as the MC9RS08KA8. The development studio is included with the DEMO9RS08KA8 demo board and also is available for download online at no charge. Designers can use these tools to help streamline application design from the moment they open the box. It features an intuitive, state-of-the-art project manager and build system; a highly optimized compiler; a graphical, source-level debugger; integrated profiling capabilities; a full chip simulator, and more.

Pricing and availability
Samples of the KA8 and KA4 devices are available now in production quantities. Suggested resale pricing for 10,000-piece quantities of the MC9RS08KA8 starts at 68 cents (USD). Suggested resale pricing for the DEMO9RS08KA8 demonstration board is $50 (USD).

For more information about the KA family and to receive a complimentary download of CodeWarrior, Special Edition, visit www.freescale.com/files/pr/8bit.html.