ARM Cortex-M3 based mcu is first with lcd controller

The LPC178x microcontroller features up to 96KB of on chip SRAM and a 32bit external memory interface. It is designed for industrial automation, point of sale and medical diagnostic applications. According to NXP, the device allows customers to add high quality graphics to their applications. "The LPC178x microcontrollers deliver an integrated lcd controller at a breakthrough price point, providing a low cost solution for embedded system designers who want to add attractive TFT displays with animation," said Jan Jaap Bezemer, director of marketing, microcontroller business line, NXP Semiconductors. According to Bezemer, the lcd interface includes its own DMA controller to allow it to operate independently of the cpu and other system functions. A built in fifo acts as a buffer for display data to provide flexibility for system timing, while hardware cursor support has been added to reduce the amount of cpu time needed to operate the display.