VİKO selects Freescale 8-bit MC9S08LH64 MCU for residential electricity meters

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS: Freescale Semiconductor announced that VİKO Electric and Electronic, listed as one of the Top 500 Large Industrial Organizations of Turkey by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, has selected Freescale's MC9S08LH64 microcontroller (MCU) for its single-phase residential electricity meters. These meters are expected to be available early next year.

VİKO selected the Freescale solution because it provides the best integrated system cost for low-power, single-phase residential electricity meters for the Turkish markets and its neighboring countries. The MC9S08LH64 MCU enables automated meter reading at an affordable price for utility companies.

Smart metering continues to gain momentum as the world’s leading economies overhaul outdated power grids and build out a smart grid. Smart metering products enable two-way communication between utility companies and consumers to eliminate waste, optimize power and encourage dramatic decreases in energy consumption.

“We are delighted to have VİKO as a customer to help grow our metering business in Turkey and other countries,” said Bruno Baylac, director of Freescale’s Metering, Medical and Connectivity Solutions business. “This is more proof of Freescale’s commitment to the metering market and that we are developing MCU and connectivity solutions for future smart meters.”

Freescale’s 8-bit MC9S08LH family is ideally suited for intelligent, accurate, single-phase power meter designs, while keeping bill of materials cost low. The MC9S08LH64 MCU is based on an 8-bit S08 core and features up to 64K of flash memory; an integrated 10-channel, 16-bit analog-to-digital converter; two 2-channel 16-bit timers and an integrated LCD controller.

Freescale is fully committed to the smart metering market and offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions, including low-power 8- and 32-bit MCUs, wired and wireless connectivity platforms and an extensive support ecosystem.

VİKO is supported and supplied locally via franchised distributor Future Electronics, headquartered for the EMEA region in Egham, UK and operating a state-of-the-art EMEA distribution centre in Leipzig Germany. Future Electronics is a world-class leader and innovator in the distribution and marketing of semiconductors, passive, interconnect and electro-mechanical components operating in 169 locations in 42 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia.