Freescale Announces World's First and Most Energy-Efficient 32-Bit MCU
Published2012.11.12 11:07November 8, 2012, Seoul, Korea — Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: FSL, www.freescale.com ) today announced the Kinetis KW01 wireless MCU (microcontroller), which is optimized for smart energy applications with wireless connectivity, as an expansion of its popular Kinetis MCU family.
Several protocols are gaining global prominence for outdoor and indoor smart energy networks that require powerful communication capabilities and low power consumption. The Kinetis KW01 wireless MCU is a product designed to meet these demands with high-performance wireless technology that supports up to 600 Kbp using complex modulation schemes (GFSK, MSK, GMSK, OOK), while operating across various frequencies ranging from 290 to 1020 MHz to support ISM bands in Japan, the US, Europe, China, India, Brazil, Mexico, and other regions. Furthermore, it processes multiple network protocols using an efficient, low-power onboard CPU system.
For outdoor applications such as NANs (Neighborhood Area Networks) connecting multiple smart meters to a common data collection point, and MANs (Metropolitan Area Networks) connecting multiple streetlights or sensors, the KW01 wireless MCU can support proprietary protocols and industry standard IEEE® 802.15.4e/g protocols. For indoor applications connecting wireless sensors, controllers, displays, home appliances, and machinery, the KW01 wireless MCU can support proprietary protocols or standard protocols such as 6LoWPAN, WMBUS (EN13757-4), KNX, and ECHONET.
Bruno Baylac, General Manager of Freescale’s Metering, Healthcare, and Connectivity Solutions business unit, stated, “As wireless protocols used in energy management and general control networks evolve, our customers are demanding complete flexibility,” adding, “The Kinetis KW01 wireless MCU adapts to multiple protocols while providing the performance and low power consumption required for smart energy applications.”
The Kinetis KW01 MCU is based on an ARM® Cortex™-M0+ processor, operates at up to 48 MHz, features 128 KB of flash memory and 16 KB of SRAM, and consumes as little as 40 µA/MHz of power under normal conditions. The system and peripherals are designed to provide a device quiescent current of less than 100 nA, including a device standby current of 1.7 µA, a fast start-up time of just 4.3 microseconds, and wireless configuration data retention. These features enable the maximization of battery life in portable systems.
The KW01 device can be used as an inclusive modem that runs low-level wireless protocol layers while delegating the upper network protocol layers to an external host application processor. Since the KW01 can also operate without a host for simple network protocols, it can implement a single-chip solution in wireless sensor networking applications by utilizing on-chip peripherals such as a 16-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC).
Supply situation
Samples of the Kinetis KW01 MCU are scheduled to be available in the fourth quarter, and mass production is scheduled for the first quarter of 2013. Further details and pricing information can be found at freescale.com/KW01.
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