V850E/PHO3 Microcontroller Targets Advanced Network Architectures and Next-Generation X-By-Wire Applications

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- NEC Electronics America, Inc. today expanded its comprehensive lineup of automotive microcontrollers (MCUs) with the 32-bit all flash V850E/PHO3(TM) MCU optimized for chassis and inverter control applications that require control of up to two 3-phase brushless DC motors simultaneously, such as electronic power steering, electronic braking, damping and other vehicle-stability control applications. Featuring an embedded FlexRay(TM) controller, the V850E/PHO3 MCU is well suited for advanced network architectures and future x-by-wire applications. The new device is the first NEC Electronics MCU to include an embedded FlexRay communications controller based on E-Ray intellectual property (IP) licensed from Robert Bosch GmbH.

"FlexRay technology is poised to replace the CAN protocol and become the network standard of choice in the chassis and powertrain areas," said Jim Trent, associate vice president and general manager, automotive strategic business unit, NEC Electronics America, Inc. "Product development and support is critical to ensuring mainstream adoption of standards such as FlexRay, and NEC Electronics America is pleased to provide automotive engineers with a FlexRay-enabled solution designed specifically for chassis applications."

The V850E/PHO3 MCU was the first MCU to successfully pass the FlexRay Conformance Test administered by TUV Nord Group's Institute for Vehicle Technology and Mobility, the FlexRay Consortium's official partner for data link layer conformance testing. Required for all MCUs implemented in a FlexRay cluster of volume production cars, the certification is based on 275 tests that verify the functional behavior of an embedded FlexRay communications controller to ensure conformance with the FlexRay v2.1 specification.

The V850E/PHO3 MCU actively supports the design of Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL3)- conformant (IEC61508) engine control units that have highly efficient, on-chip safety diagnostics -- including error-correcting code in flash memory and RAM, hardware-based cyclical redundancy checks, redundant peripherals, core self-test software and a floating-point unit capable of diverse processing.

The V850E/PHO3 MCU is based on NEC Electronics' well-established V850E(TM) CPU core that operates at clock speeds up to 128 megahertz (MHz). Its peripheral set is backward-compatible with earlier versions of the V850/PHO lineup, including the V850E/PHO2(TM), and provides a scalable solution with a smooth migration path. Large memory capacities, including 1 megabyte (MB) of embedded flash memory, 32 kilobytes (KB) of flash memory for data and 60 KB of RAM, make the device suitable for complex application software. Two analog-to-digital (A/D) converters, 14 independent multi-channel pulse-width modulator (PWM) timers and two real-time pulse units allow control of up to two 3-phase brushless DC motors simultaneously. A highly efficient direct memory access (DMA) controller reduces CPU load to a minimum.

In addition to the FlexRay communications controller, the V850E/PHO3 MCU is equipped with two Controller Area Network (CAN) interfaces, three Local Interconnect Network (LIN)-UART interfaces, four clocked serial interfaces (CSIs) and a 32-bit non-multiplexing bus interface for use in advanced network architectures. The device has a small footprint and is available in a 35-pin ball grid array (BGA) package. NEC Electronics also provides a complete, ready-to-use AUTOSAR-compliant Microcontroller Abstraction Layer (MCAL) software stack that enables fast design of standardized and reusable application software.

In addition to being the number-two supplier of 32-bit MCUs worldwide, as ranked by Gartner Dataquest in its March 2007 report, NEC Electronics is also an active member of the FlexRay Consortium, JASPAR Working Group, AUTOSAR Consortium and CAN in Automation. For more information about NEC Electronics' automotive microcontrollers, visit http://www.am.necel.com/automotive.

Availability

Samples of the V850E/PHO3 MCU are available now, with volume production scheduled for Q1 2008. For pricing, call 1-800-366-9782. (Pricing and availability are subject to change.)

About NEC Electronics America, Inc.

NEC Electronics America, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a leading provider of semiconductor products encompassing advanced technology solutions for the broadband and communications markets; system solutions for the mobile, PC, automotive and digital consumer markets; and multi-market solutions for a wide range of consumer applications. NEC Electronics America offers local manufacturing in Roseville, California, and the global manufacturing capabilities of its parent company. In the Americas, NEC Electronics America markets and sells industrial-type active-matrix LCD modules from NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd., a global leader in innovative display technologies. More information about the products offered by NEC Electronics America can be found at http://www.am.necel.com/.

NEC Electronics, NEC Electronics America, V850E, V850E/PHO2 and V850E/PHO3 are either registered trademarks or trademarks of NEC Electronics Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. FlexRay is a trademark of DaimlerChrysler AG. All other registered trademarks or trademarks are property of their respective owners.

DATASOURCE: NEC Electronics America, Inc.

CONTACT: Denise Garibaldi of NEC Electronics America, Inc.,

+1-408-588-6620, ; or Jessica Kerr of Porter

Novelli, +1-415-975-2213, , for NEC Electronics

America, Inc.

Web site: http://www.necel.com/