Energy Micro adds 100 Cortex-M3 parts to its range
1 min read
Low power mcu specialist Energy Micro has added 100 devices to its EFM32 Gecko range. The parts, pin and code compatible with existing Gecko and Tiny Gecko products, are based on the ARM Cortex-M3 core.
Called Leopard Gecko and Giant Gecko, the devices are already shipping to lead customers. The parts offer up to 1Mbyte of flash and feature more package choices, as well as additional energy saving, connectivity and display driving options.
The Leopard Gecko range comprises 60 parts, with 32kbyte of ram as standard and either 64, 128 or 256kbyte of flash. The Giant Gecko family, which represents the top end of the Gecko portfolio, comes with either 512 or 1024kbyte of flash, along with 128kbyte of ram. Both families operate at up to 48MHz.
Packaging options have been extended to provide users with more I/O capability. New to the portfolio are QFP64 and 7 x7mm bga 120 packages.
Both Leopard Gecko and Giant Gecko families can take advantage of a 400nA back up power mode. According to vp sales and marketing Andreas Koller: "This mode will allow you to change the battery in, for example, a blood glucose meter without losing the real time clock."
The new mcus can also drive a 320 x 240 tft directly, through what Koller called an 'analogue friendly tft driver'. "Displays are power hungry," he claimed, "and we have included an intelligent tft driver that keeps the cpu in sleep mode, but which updates the tft."
Energy Micro has also enabled the Embedded Trace Module feature of the Cortex-M3 core. "It comes free of charge in our development kit," said Koller. "With other companies providing M3 based mcus, you may have to pay more than $1000."
