ARTERY Technology launched the brand-new AT32F4212 series value-line Cortex-M4 MCUs that are designed with dual built-in operating amplifiers (OPA) based on AT32F421 MCUs to effectively simplify circuit design and save material cost. With functions of current amplification and short circuit protection, the OPA can be used for current detection, field-oriented control (FOC), or line current […]
microcontroller
Aurix TC4x MCUs get automotive-grade RTOS, hypervisor
Elektrobit announced the first automotive-grade, embedded, real-time operating system (OS) and hypervisor for the new AURIX TC4x microcontroller (MCU) from Infineon Technologies AG. The EB tresos AutoCore OS and new EB tresos Embedded Hypervisor enable OEMs and Tier 1s to more easily develop and deploy automotive E/E architectures based on the AUTOSAR Classic standard, helping […]
Arm Cortex-M4F-based PIC MCU includes integrated BLE
Wireless connectivity has become a mandatory feature for many products but often increases the cost and complexity of system design since it generally must be added as part of the larger application. Microchip Technology Inc. is introducing its first Arm Cortex-M4F-based PIC microcontroller (MCU) family that solves this wireless connectivity design challenge by integrating Bluetooth […]
How many internal memories does an MCU have?
The number of internal memories in an MCU depends on how the memory is categorized. At the highest level, there are two; random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). But, if the interest is in memory performance, there are different types of RAM and ROM. And these different types of memory can be employed […]
How do firmware, system software, and application software work together?
Firmware, system software (also called embedded software), middleware and application software work collaboratively and perform specific functions in embedded systems. Firmware, system software, and middleware are generally preloaded in an MCU. Applications software may be preloaded but is often added after the system has been built. This FAQ reviews the functions and interactions between firmware, […]
What do MCUs have that FPGAs don’t?
Microcontroller units (MCUs) have a computer processor unit (CPU) core, various types of memory, input/output (I/O) functions, and a range of integrated peripherals. Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) don’t have any of these features and consist of many configurable (or programmable) logic blocks, with a programmable interconnect overlay surrounded by numerous general purpose I/Os (GPIOs). […]
Factors to consider when selecting an MCU
Selecting the MCU is an important activity when starting a new project. Underspecify the MCU, and performance suffers; over-specify it, and the budget suffers. In either case, suffering is unwanted and unnecessary. It’s prevented by taking a thoughtful and thorough approach to MCU selection. This FAQ begins with a review of the baseline performance numbers […]
Board speeds RISC-V MCU prototyping tasks
MikroElektronika has launched a new SiBRAIN add-on board, SiBRAIN for GD32VF103VBT6, enabling embedded designers to start prototyping with the GigaDevice RISC-V microcontroller immediately. SiBRAIN is a standardized microcontroller add-on board, which allows very simple installation and replacement of the microcontroller unit (MCU) on a development board equipped with the SiBRAIN Card socket. By introducing the new […]
Arm cortex-M0+ core MCU features functional safety, cybersecurity, AUTOSAR compatibility
Microchip Technology Inc. announces the PIC32CM JH microcontroller (MCU). This is the industry’s first MCU based on the Arm Cortex-M0+ architecture with AUTOSAR support, Memory-Built-In Self-Test (MBIST), and secure boot. The PIC32CM JH is compatible with AUTOSAR, an open software architecture, providing suppliers with the ability to change to lower-level hardware but keep the original application code, […]
Microcontroller boosts automotive security
NXP Semiconductors has announced the NCJ37x Secure Element (SE), an automotive-qualified secure microcontroller with advanced cryptographic accelerators and physically built-in electrical attack resistance for various security-critical automotive applications such as smart access key fobs, Qi 1.3 authentication, or car-to-cloud communication. The device supports the protocols from the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) and its passive NFC […]
