Freescale tackles excessive energy consumption with next-gen DSCs

NEW DELHI, INDIA: According to the US Energy Information Administration, worldwide energy demand is projected to increase more than 35 percent during the next 20 years, making smart energy management solutions increasingly important.

While much of the global focus on green technologies has been directed at smart grid design and implementation, another significant opportunity for energy savings is available today. Even small improvements in the efficiency of power supplies, motors and lighting systems - sources of huge energy demand - through the use of digital control systems could have a major impact on global energy consumption. Freescale Semiconductor is addressing this need with its high-performance digital signal controllers (DSCs).

Freescale announced the first family in its next-generation DSC portfolio, the MC56F84xx, which integrates high-speed analog functionality with an efficient 32-bit digital signal processor core to provide precise and accurate digital control for power supplies (digital power conversion) and motors. The MC56F84xx family's performance, precision, accuracy and control capabilities help increase system stability for these types of applications.

Increased system stability for motor control applications results in motors that run more efficiently and quietly (in a dishwasher or other appliance, for example). The benefits of increased system stability for power supplies include reduced energy waste and heat. When less heat is generated, designers can reduce costs and system size. For example, a server room with power supplies that generate less heat requires less energy for cooling, and circuit board designs that have less heat to dissipate can be smaller (improved power density), reducing system size and cost and allowing "miniaturization" of the application.

"With increased awareness and concern about worldwide energy use, designers are seeking ways to minimize energy consumption," said Reza Kazerounian, senior vice president and general manager of Freescale's Microcontroller Solutions Group.

"Digital signal controller technology is ideal for helping improve energy efficiency, and Freescale's next-generation DSCs are leading the way. With the MC56F84xx family, we have re-examined and improved every aspect of a DSC - upgrading the core to 32 bits, increasing peripheral flexibility and precision and simplifying design methodologies - to provide our customers a faster, smarter way to manage energy use."

Saving energy in the cloud
The MC56F84xx family is targeted at high-end digital power supplies, such as those used for servers in data centers. Improving the energy efficiency of data centers will become increasingly critical as businesses and consumers continue the migration to cloud computing. As cloud use increases during the next few years, the average size of the data centers that host the cloud infrastructure also will grow dramatically, in turn increasing energy consumption.

With the price of electricity increasing and the typical electricity cost for a server rack equaling nearly 20 percent of its overall cost of ownership, data center owners will continue to look for more energy-efficient solutions to help reduce their total costs.

The MC56F84xx family is ideal for helping reduce energy waste in traditional industrial applications and lighting systems, as well as the next generation of energy generators, such as solar power.

MC56F84xx DSC family details
The MC56F84xx DSC family provides the fastest signal processing in the microcontroller industry. It delivers the ease of use of an MCU with the advanced, fast math computing of a DSP core. The family's features include:

* A perfect combination of high performance and precision with a 32-bit core, high-res pulse-width modulation (PWM) and ADC (AC/DC conversion).
* Optimized for digital signal processing, the 100 MHz/100 MIPS 32-bit core increases the execution of the control loop.
* Fast control loops are driven via single-cycle math computation, fractional arithmetic support and parallel moves, supported by the Harvard-style architecture.
* High-res PWM with 312 pico-second resolution provides precise and stable control across extended temperatures.
* Dual, 12-bit ADC with built-in PGA sampling up to 3.3 mega samples per second improves real-time control for a more efficient design.
* Memory protection features restrict access to key modules, helps ensure reliable solutions.
* On-chip comparators reduce system component cost and ease of design.
* Programmable flash memory scales from 64 KB to 256 KB.
* Freescale's FlexMemory EEPROM capability supports frequent event captures
Direct memory access (DMA) helps ensure fast data transfers without core interruption
5-volt tolerant I/O offers flexibility and system cost reduction.

Freescale has a history of providing long-term production support for its products. The MC56F84xx family is included in Freescale's product longevity program, with assured supply for a minimum of 10 years.

Sample quantities of the MC56F84xx family are expected to be available in Q4 2011 from Freescale and its distribution partners. Suggested resale pricing starts under $2 in 10,000-piece quantities.