OKI Develops 8-bit Flash Microcontroller, the Lowest Power Level in the Industry

Business Wire,  March 17, 2008  

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Operates at 1.1V Using OKI's Proprietary Technology

TOKYO -- Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:6703) today announced the development of "ML610Q431/Q432," an 8-bit flash microcontroller (MCU) that incorporates 1.1V flash memory based on OKI's proprietary low-power technology and a fine power-management function, achieving one of the lowest power operation in the industry. The ML610Q431/Q432 includes a highly efficient RISC-type CPU, an LCD driver, two types of A/D converters, and on-chip debugging functions. It is best suited for handheld devices with LCDs such as watches, thermometers and pedometers as they become smaller and require shorter time-to-market. Sample shipment is scheduled to start from April 2008, and volume shipment from June.

"With OKI's ultra low power, high-performance and multifunctional 8-bit flash microcontroller, we believe handheld device manufacturers will be able to reduce the size of handheld devices and achieve shorter time-to-market," said Masahiko Morioka, President of Silicon Solution Company at OKI. "We will continue to expand our ultra low power 8-bit flash MCU lineup to be used in various applications."

- Built-in flash memory

Based on OKI's proprietary low-power technology, the ML610Q431/Q432 operates over a wide range of voltage (from a low 1.1V to 3.6V), and achieves a current consumption that is equivalent to MCUs with built-in mask ROM. Therefore, while keeping the advantage of flash memory MCU's short development and manufacturing time, the ML610Q431/Q432 can simultaneously enable use of smaller and lighter batteries because of its low power consumption.

- Detailed power-management function

The ML610Q431/Q432 includes three power-management functions: HALT mode, STOP mode and triple clock mode. HALT mode suspends CPU operation and STOP mode suspends peripheral circuit operations in addition to CPU operation. The ML610Q431/Q432 can keep the power low even when CPU is operating because it has triple clocks and users can select a clock from among the frequencies of 32.768kHz, 500kHz, or 4.096MHz. In addition, low power consumption enables longer battery life and contributes to smaller battery, resulting in smaller and lighter devices.

- Highly efficient RISC-type CPU

The ML610Q431/Q432 uses OKI's proprietary CPU, "nX-U8/100," based on RISC architecture, which is well-established in the market, having shipped a total of 60 million units. The CPU can offer high performance while requiring only low power because it executes most instructions in a single machine cycle with the three-stage pipeline and has a bit operation instruction, which enables high-speed access to the memory, and a multiplication/division instruction.

- LCD driver

ML610Q432 offers 1536 dot (64 segx24 com) resolution while ML610Q431 offers 1024 dot (64 segx16 com) resolution, both including a charge pump circuit. Because no external driver is required, it enables smaller devices.

- Two types of A/D converter

The ML610Q431/Q432 includes two types of A/D converters: a 24-bit RC oscillator type and a 12-bit successive approximation type. It can make various measurements by connecting it to a thermohygrometer sensor that changes resistance and capacitance, or a pressure sensor that changes output voltage. Because no external A/D converter is required, it enables smaller devices.

- On-chip debugging

On-chip debugging emulator (product name: uEASE), helps reduce development time for the device. It enables users to debug software programs and erase or write them into the flash memory when mounted on the users' circuit board.

About Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1881, Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. is Japan's first telecommunications manufacturer, with its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. OKI provides top-quality products, technologies and solutions to its customers through its info-telecom system business, semiconductor business and printer business. All three businesses function as a collective force to create exciting new products and technologies that satisfy a spectrum of customer needs in various markets. Visit OKI's global web site at http://www.oki.com/.

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