Epson Develops S1C17602, a 16-bit Microcontroller with Enhanced Functions Suitable for Controlling Sensors for Healthcare Equipment

TOKYO, Japan.-Seiko Epson Corporation (“Epson”) has developed the S1C17602, a low power consumption 16-bit microcontroller that incorporates a newly developed 10-bit ultra-low power consumption A/D converter and is capable of controlling various sensors used in healthcare equipment. Shipment of samples of this product began in May 2008, with volume production of 500,000 units per month scheduled to start in December 2008.


The S1C17602 has an ultra-low power consumption A/D converter with a running current consumption of 120µA (typical when the sampling clock is 2 MHz), an R/F converter with a 24-bit counter for monitoring temperature and humidity, and various serial interfaces, which enable connection with sensors that are incorporated in healthcare equipment to monitor body temperature, blood pressure, body composition, etc. In addition, this product contains a segment LCD driver for displaying alphanumeric characters and icons. The S1C17602 is the first 16-bit microcontroller produced by Epson with a segment LCD driver. This LCD driver is compatible with not only ordinary 4 common drivers (max. of 160 dots) but also 8 common drivers (max. of 288 dots) enabling display support for increasingly higher resolutions and greatly enhancing expression.


Through the development of the S1C17 family of products, Epson has provided a lineup of 16-bit microcontrollers that contain an LCD controller and a dot matrix LCD driver. The addition of this series of new products containing a segment LCD driver enables the S1C17 family of products to support every type of liquid crystal display. Products equipped with LCDs are becoming much more diversified, however Epson has made it possible for its customers to develop all types of products, from low-end to high-end, by using the S1C17 family.

Special features of the S1C17602

1. Built-in A/D converter with ultra-low power consumption enables control of various sensors

* Contains a 10-bit successive approximation A/D converter that achieves ultra-low power consumption of 120µA (typical), which is one-third the running power consumption of conventional products from Epson (when the sampling clock is 2 MHz)
* Contains an R/F converter that is equipped with a 24-bit counter and capable of easy and highly precise monitoring of temperature and humidity with only passive components
* Contains I2C (master/slave) and SPI (master/slave), which are standard I/F for sensor modules
* Built-in MAC (multiply and accumulate) unit and dividing unit enable high-speed sensor processing, which is becoming more complicated

2. LCD driver supports enhanced segment display to achieve enriched expression

* Compatible with the more enhanced 8 common drivers (max. of 288 dots) in addition to conventional 4 common drivers (max. of 160 dots)
* Microcontroller software enables 16-value contrast adjustment
* Built-in driver-dedicated power circuit enables the device to maintain a high quality display regardless of the charge remaining in the battery

3. Low power consumption dramatically increases battery life

* Achieves both the high processing capability of a 16-bit microcontroller and the low power consumption that is equivalent to a 4 or 8-bit microcontroller
Also achieves ultra-low power consumption of 5.5µA even when the LCD is in operation (32.768 KHz in Run state, no panel load, Halt state)
* Proper adjustment of the CPU clock with the software achieves optimal power consumption; for example, a frequency division value set to 1/8 achieves an operating current that is one-third of the normal current
Run state (32 KHz): 15µA (typical) in normal mode; 5µA (typical) when the gear ratio is set to 1/8
Run state (8 MHz): 3mA (typical) in normal mode; 1.1mA (typical) when the gear ratio is set to 1/8
(Normal mode: 1 cycle = 1 CLK; 1/8 gear ratio: 1 cycle = 8 CLK)