Freescale expands 8-bit control options for large consumer appliance applications

S08AC60/48/32 MCUs designed to reduce cost and board space and improve energy efficiency and system integrity of ‘white-goods’

AUSTIN, Texas.– Freescale Semiconductor has introduced three highly integrated 8-bit S08AC microcontrollers (MCU) that expand the range of flash memory and performance options for cost-sensitive large appliance applications. The 8-bit devices – the S08AC60, S08AC48 and S08AC32 – join the existing S08AC16 and S08AC8 MCUs for the industrial and consumer appliance market and also offer an upward migration path from Freescale’s MC9S08AW products. These latest S08AC family devices are designed to provide flexible, scalable general-purpose solutions for control modules in white goods, including washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers and cooking products.

Operating at 40 MHz with bus speeds of up to 20 MHz, the S08AC60/48/32 MCUs offer developers a choice of 60K, 48K and 32K flash memory, in addition to the existing 16K and 8K options. The devices’ exceptional performance, coupled with on-chip timers and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), makes them ideal for advanced motor control techniques. Designed to enable shorter washing cycle times, these techniques can be used to help reduce water consumption and enhance energy efficiency.

To enhance system integrity, the 8-bit MCUs integrate hardware and software safety features to help manufacturers of automatic controls used in large appliance and industrial equipment meet the IEC 60730 class B regulation. The devices’ integrated system integrity software includes periodic test routines for CPU register, program counter, hardware and software cyclic redundancy check (CRC) engines, RAM March X and C, and independent watchdog timeout. These software routines have been certified by the VDE Institute and are designed to enable manufacturers to accelerate their development time by achieving compliance with the Class B IEC 60730 regulation.

Highly integrated 8-bit MCUs
The S08AC60/48/32 devices’ high level of on-chip integration helps reduce development cost, saves board space and enhances system-level quality by eliminating the need for peripheral board components, such as external clock sources.

Integrated hardware modules include an independently clocked watchdog timer, which provides a safety mechanism to monitor the flow of software, interrupt handling and execution, and the CPU clock. The devices’ CRC engine is designed to provide a fast mechanism for testing flash memory and checking serial communication protocols, such as serial communications interface (SCI), inter-integrated circuit (I2C) and serial peripheral interface (SPI).

Offering on-chip SPI, I2C and two SCI modules, the MCUs support a broad range of communications protocols typically used in the large appliance market. The SCI modules are designed to simplify development of LIN systems by enabling LIN break detection and synchronization without the use of an external timer channel.

S08AC60/48/32 MCU features

* 40 MHz HCS08 core
* 20 MHz bus frequency
* 60 KB, 48 KB and 32 KB flash options
* 2 KB RAM
* LIN slave support
* 2 x SCI, SPI, I2C with broadcast mode
* Time pulse modulation (TPM): 3 x 16-bit timer, 2 x 2-channel, 1 x 6-channel
* Up to 16-channels, 10-bit ADC with built-in temperature sensor
* Independently clocked watchdog
* Hardware CRC
* Multiple clock source options
* 2.7V to 5.5V operation; -40°C to +85°C operation
* 32LQFP, 44LQFP, 48QFN, 64QFP, 64LQFP package options

Appliance design made easier
To help streamline the large appliance design process, the S08AC60/48/32 MCUs are backed by a comprehensive ecosystem of hardware and software development tools. The DEMO9S08AC60E demonstration board is available for a suggested retail price of $85 (USD), providing a cost-effective platform for evaluating MCU performance and features. The MCUs are supported by Freescale’s CodeWarrior® Development Studio for Microcontrollers v6.1, an integrated tool suite designed to help developers take advantage of the Freescale MCUs selected for their application. Freescale also offers extensive online training to help developers get on the design fast track.

The S08AC60/48/32 devices offer an on-chip background debug mode (BDM) capability that enables developers to perform non-intrusive debugging and emulation on the fly. The BDM feature is critical for debugging MCU-based systems without interfering with software execution.

Pricing and availability
Samples of the S08AC60/48/32 devices are available now. Suggested retail pricing (USD) for these devices in 10K volumes starts at $1.98 for the S08AC60, $1.91 for the S08AC48 and $1.84 for the S08AC32.