NEC Electronics Enables USB Connectivity in Industrial and Consumer Electronics Systems with New 32-Bit Microcontrollers

Business Wire, May 13, 2008

Integrated Functions Facilitate Rapid Development of USB 2.0 Systems

KAWASAKI, Japan & DUESSELDORF, Germany & SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Leading 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) supplier NEC Electronics Corporation and its subsidiaries in Europe and the Americas, NEC Electronics GmbH and NEC Electronics America, Inc., today reaffirmed their commitment to the industrial and consumer electronics markets with the addition of twelve new 32-bit devices with complete USB functionality on a single chip. The new 32-bit V850ES/Jx3-H[TM] and V850ESJx3-U[TM] MCUs execute USB 2.0 data transfers at high speeds up to 12 megabits per second (Mbps), and enable rapid development of applications that require USB connectivity and 32-bit processing power for real-time control of industrial equipment, factory automation systems, point-of-sales terminals, medical and testing devices, telecommunications and consumer electronics products and other embedded applications.

"We are seeing an increased demand for MCUs that can deliver the higher performance and greater functionality required in systems that are growing ever more complex," Shigenobu Ishikawa, Multipurpose Microcomputer Systems Division, Microcomputer Operations Unit, NEC Electronics. "USB is arguably the most popular and successful interconnect technology available today, and NEC Electronics' new 32-bit MCUs now make it easier than ever for designers to add USB capabilities to their target systems."

Based on NEC Electronics' 32-bit V850ES[TM] core, the MCUs offer the following key advantages: fast execution of instructions per clock cycle at 1.9 Dhrystone million instructions per second (MIPS) per megahertz (MHz), efficient RISC CPU core with five-stage pipeline and CISC instructions, and low power consumption.

The four chips in the V850ES/Jx3-U lineup provide both USB host and function capability, while the eight chips in the V850ES/Jx3-H lineup provide USB function capability only. All of the new devices have the same instruction set and development environment as other V850-based cores, making it easy for designers to migrate from one V850 core to another.

Operation at a clock speed of 48 MHz enables the chips to execute 98 million instructions per second (MIPS). Like NEC Electronics' general-purpose V850ES/JG3[TM] and V850ES/JJ3[TM] MCUs, the new products also feature on-chip peripheral functions such as a motor control timer and real-time counter that simplify system design and contribute to lower component counts and smaller board sizes.

NEC Electronics is working with partners to provide USB drivers for the host and function controllers. Standard development tools include NEC Electronics' IECUBE full-function emulator, MINICUBE[TM] on-chip debugger and integrated debugger, compiler and simulator. Two dedicated USB starter kits with basic and advanced functionality, including application drivers, are expected to be available June 2008.

In 2007, NEC Electronics Corporation was ranked the number one supplier of 32-bit MCUs worldwide according to the Gartner Dataquest April 2008 ranking report.

Pricing and Availability

Samples are available now in several pin count, memory and USB function configurations. Pricing varies depending on features. For example, pricing for the high-end V850ES/JH3-U lineup, which features 512 kilobytes (KB) of flash memory, 56 KB of SRAM, and USB host and peripheral functions, is $9.50 per unit in sample quantities. (Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.)

About NEC Electronics

NEC Electronics Corporation (TOKYO:6723) specializes in semiconductor products encompassing advanced technology solutions for the high-end computing and broadband networking markets; system solutions for the mobile handset, PC peripheral, automotive and digital consumer markets; and multi-market solutions for a wide range of customer applications. NEC Electronics Corporation has subsidiaries worldwide including NEC Electronics America, Inc. (www.am.necel.com) and NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH (www.eu.necel.com). More information about NEC Electronics worldwide can be found at www.necel.com.

NEC Electronics and NEC Electronics America are either registered trademarks or trademarks of NEC Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. MINICUBE, V850ES, V850ES/Jx3, V850ES/JG3, V850ES/JG3-H, V850ES/JG3-U, V850ES/JH3-H, V850ES/JH3-U, and V850ES/JJ3 are trademarks of NEC Electronics Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other marks are property of their respective owners. All products and services mentioned in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.