Date: 01/03/2011

32 bit ARM Cortex-M4 based MCUs with high performance analog for medical apps

Freescale Semiconductor has added new members to its Kinetis 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) line - the Kinetis K50 family targeted for medical and industrial applications. These are built using ARM Cortex-M4 processor IP core. The K50 family consists of four subfamilies (K50, K51, K52, K53) with a total of 40 devices, is compatible with more than 200 other MCUs in the Kinetis portfolio.

The K50 MCU family are designed to continuously monitor and measure analog signals for applications such as portable medical electronic devices, signal instrumentation and industrial test and measurement equipment.

"We're breaking new ground for measurement and monitoring with our Kinetis K50 MCU family," said Jeff Bock, director of marketing for Freescale's Industrial and Multi-Market business. "This new family offers a best-in-class combination of multiple connectivity options, accurate analog signal processing and extensive scalability for a number of industrial and medical applications."

The release says K50 family's enhanced monitoring and measurement capabilities are particularly important for the medical market, as medical devices increasingly transition to portable formats. These 32 bit MCUs are suggested strongly for designing portable, connected medical electronic devices as per end users expectation.

The key features of these MCUs are:

1. On-chip signal processing is made possible with the integration of operational and transimpedance amplifiers, as well as a high-speed 16-bit analog-to-digital converter that converts and acquires the signal for accurate and timely results.

2. Offers multiple monitoring interfaces on chip, including Ethernet, an integrated low-power LCD controller, a capacitive touch-sensing module, as well as support for numerous communication protocols (USB, UART, SPI, I2C, I2S and/or external bus), providing multiple connectivity options for constant monitoring.

3. Offers 128 KB of flash memory in a 64-pin package

Freescale Semiconductor boasts about its history of providing long-term production support for its products, where it says the Kinetis K50 family is included in Freescale's product longevity program, with assured supply for a minimum of 15 years.

Package: 44 MAPBGA, 144 LQFP and 100 LQFP packages
Price: Each at $3.58 (USD) for 10K units
Avaialability: Samples in June 2011

For more info visit www.freescale.com