STMicroelectronics has announced three new Serial Real-Time Clocks (RTCs) for use in a broad range of applications from camcorders to electronic door locks. All are available in a lead-free 16-pin QFN package, just 3mm square, and as small a footprint as is available in an RTC.
The new devices - the M41T50 , M41T60 and M41T62-65 - provide date and time information, from seconds to centuries, over an I2C serial bus. All include automatic leap year compensation. They are designed for a bus operating voltage from 3.6V down to 1.3V (M41T50: 1.7V), but will maintain timekeeping at supply levels as low as 1.0V providing more robust system performance. Operating current is just 350uA on a 3.0V supply, making the RTCs ideal for battery operation and handheld applications. Standby currents will be less than 650 nanoamps at 3.0V. All operate over the industrial temperature range of -40 to +85 degrees C.
The small size and low power requirement of these RTC chips means that they are good choices for applications such as cameras and camcorders, PDAs and other handheld products where space and power are at a premium, while the variety of features means they also suit medical and industrial systems as well as white goods.
Each clock chip offers a mix of operational features that will appeal to different types of applications. The M41T60 and M41T62/63/64/65 series each have built-in 32.768kHz oscillators, used with external crystals, and each includes an Oscillator Stop Detection feature to warn if the recorded time might be corrupted. Software clock calibration allows the host processor to compensate for variations in crystal frequency, and can achieve an accuracy of better than 2ppm at 25 degrees C.
Eight BCD (binary coded decimal) registers are used for the clock/calendar function, with additional registers used for status and control. The M41T60 provides crystal controlled time-of-day clock and calendar, while the M41T62/63/64/65 series adds a watchdog timer and various combinations of alarm interrupt, 32kHz output, programmable squarewave output, and watchdog output.
The M41T50 operates from either a 50Hz or a 60Hz input which can be derived from line power. In addition to the time-of-day clock and calendar, user functions include a programmable alarm interrupt, and a 1Hz squarewave output which minimizes the need for external circuitry.
Further information on these devices is available at
http://www.st.com/rtc/
Related stories:
NEC Develops World's Fastest SRAM-Compatible MRAM With Operation Speed of 250MHz
NEC Corporation today announced that it has succeeded in developing a new SRAM-compatible MRAM that can operate at 250MHz, the world's fastest MRAM operation speed.
Intel to debut Core 2 Duo chips in August
Despite the inevitable complaints and grumbling from some quarters, change is a necessary thing -- especially in the microprocessor industry. This August, Intel will release the Intel Core 2 series of chips. The eighth generation of the x86 processor line, the new chips will bring a slew of new features to the presently available hardware, touching up old ideas as well as bringing new ones to the table.
New High-Speed Oscillator Designed to Improve Application Reliability
Pericom Semiconductor Corporation, a worldwide preferred supplier of high-performance integrated circuits and SaRonix frequency control products, today announced a revolutionary breakthrough in crystal clock oscillator technology that improves reliability at higher operating frequencies.
STMicroelectronics Offers Single-chip Approach to LED Control
STMicroelectronics has introduced a set of single-chip LED driver ICs for industrial lighting, signage and transport applications.
The Power Logic STPxxC596 and STPxxCL596 family integrates the functions needed to drive LEDs at a constant current, set by an external resistor. Once set, a feedback mechanism monitors the current in one LED or a string of LEDs and dynamically adjusts the output to maintain the programmed current level.
TI Introduces Industry's Smallest LVPECL/LVDS Oscillator Buffers
Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) today introduced eight new high gain output oscillator buffers. Measuring just 2 x 2 x 0.55 mm, the new oscillator products enable designers to save space while also minimizing jitter and power consumption. The devices provide differential signal output in low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) or low-voltage pseudo emitter-coupled logic (LVPECL) and clock signal amplification for telecommunications switching equipment.
2-Bit-per-Cell 256-Mbit NOR Flash Memory for 3G Mobile Phone Market
STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), one of the world's largest suppliers of NOR Flash devices across a broad range of applications, today announced a 256-Mbit NOR Flash memory chip that uses a well-established 2-bit/cell architecture to provide increased memory density in a small-sized die. ST's M30L0R8000x0 is the first of a series of 2-bit/cell devices that also includes a 128-Mbit IC, with a 512-Mbit chip currently in development.
Renesas Technology Releases SH-Mobile3 with Support for Terrestrial Digital TV Broadcasts and 5-Megapixel Camera Modules
Renesas Technology Corp. today announced the SH-Mobile3A (product name: SH73380) as part of SH-Mobile Series of mobile phone application processors. The SH-Mobile3A incorporates the latest multimedia processing functions, including support for terrestrial digital TV broadcasts and 5-megapixel camera modules, and features such as a JPEG hardware accelerator for still images. Sample shipments will begin in April 2005 in Japan.
PNY Technologies Verto GeForce 6200 AGP 8X Available Now
PNY Technologies, Inc., today announced its Verto GeForce 6200 AGP 8X graphics cards. Based on the award-winning NVIDIA GeForce 6 Series graphics processing units (GPUs), the Verto GeForce 6200 brings the acclaimed features of the high-end Verto GeForce 6800 family to the mainstream market. The PNY Verto GeForce 6200 is available now from leading retailers for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $169.00.
