NXP announces availability of ARM Cortex-M3 USB MCUs

EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS: NXP Semiconductors today announced availability of the LPC1340 series microcontrollers with full-speed USB 2.0 device connectivity enabled by on-chip USB drivers certified by USB-IF, making them the easiest to use USB MCUs in the industry.

The LPC1340 is supported by VDE IEC 60335 Class B test libraries to support customers in the Class B certification process. In addition, NXP will offer an easy-to-use, comprehensive development tool platform for under US $30.

"Having introduced the first Cortex-M0 based LPC1100 MCU series just weeks ago, we are now adding easy-to-use USB connectivity to our pin-compatible Cortex-M3 series,” said Geoff Lees, vice president and general manager, microcontroller product line, NXP Semiconductors. “In addition we’ve created the industry’s first virtually free fully integrated open-source development tools for the ARM Cortex platform.”

The USB 2.0 device controller is fully certified and supports all 4 transfer types including isochronous transfer which is a key requirement for USB-based audio applications. Double buffering is supported on both isochronous and bulk end-points.

The on-chip USB drivers support both the Mass Storage Class (MSC) and Human Interface Device (HID) class. Furthermore, these drivers are incorporated in ROM, saving customers approximately 5-6 K bytes of user code.

ROM-based firmware drivers offer the dual advantage of low power operation as well as secure and safe bootloading via USB or other on-chip serial channels. The LPC1340 series is enumerated and recognized by any Windows or Linux PC as a mass storage device. Flash programming is enabled by a simple drag-and-drop action.

VDE Class B Certified Libraries
These license- and royalty-free libraries have been approved by the VDE (Verband der Elektrotechnik Elektronik Informationstechnik e.V.: German Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies) testing and certification institute, which is globally recognized as a leader in this field.

Now, when a designer uses these libraries, the application will not need to be completely re-evaluated by VDE as part of the final product certification -- saving valuable time for the manufacturer. These free NXP libraries eliminate the need for the designer to develop their own self-test routines, which require in-depth knowledge of the microcontroller architecture and assembler programming skills.

NXP Low-Cost Development Tool Platform
The LPC1340 series is supported by NXP’s low-cost development tool platform, providing customers with an end-to-end solution from initial prototype evaluation to final production. The platform includes an Eclipse-based IDE using the latest Galileo release, customized GNU tool chain, JTAG/SWD debugger, and a development board offering compatibility with the mbed rapid development tool ecosystem.

These development tools specifically focus on ease-of-use and faster product development time and supports all derivatives of Cortex-M0/M3 families and specific devices from the LPC2000 and LPC3000 families.

The LPC1340 series microcontrollers are also supported by industry-leading comprehensive development tools from IAR, Keil, Hitex, Code Red, and many others.

Parts are available now from NXP distributors worldwide with recommended distribution pricing in 10,000 quantities starting at $1.49.