Fujitsu intros 8-bit MCU with embedded FRAM memory

SUNNYVALE, USA: Fujitsu Semiconductor America Inc. (FSA) has introduced a new single-chip 8-bit MCU featuring embedded Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM) for a variety of general-purpose applications, including consumer electronics products, healthcare, and industrial systems.

Embedding FRAM into an MCU reduces total footprint and cost and simplifies system design. The architecture eliminates chip-to-chip interconnects, which significantly improves the transaction speed and internal bus interface between MCU and memory, enabling performance that Flash or EEPROM cannot provide.

The MB95R203A MCU is the newest member of the Fujitsu F2MC-8FX family of high-performance 8-bit MCUs. It incorporates state-of-the-art non-volatile FRAM, featuring ultra-high access speeds and the ability to retain data in memory without power.

The FRAM can be erased and rewritten 1015 times, with data retention guaranteed for 10 years. The MB95R203A MCU incorporates 8 kilobytes of user-accessible FRAM, which can be partitioned as either ROM or RAM. The ability to easily interchange data and work memory space makes the MB95R203A ideal for a variety of different applications and programming requirements.

The Fujitsu MB95R203A operates with power supplies ranging from 1.8V to 3.6V (1.8V power supplies are typically used in home healthcare devices, such as blood pressure and glucose meters.) It incorporates a full complement of timers and communication functions, as well as high-precision A/C converters, UART, I2C, and 16 I/O ports.

The controller employs one-line on-chip debug, which requires only a single MCU pin. An embedded oscillator circuit maximizes the number of pins available for use in smart meters, consumer appliances, electric tools, and other designs.