Renesas Technology Europe H8SX/1725F 32-bit CISC MCU has a split embedded MONOS Flash module, 256KByte high speed Flash for code and 16KByte high endurance Flash for data.

The speed of the code Flash is 12.5ns, with a roadmap to deliver 10ns capability in 2009, when the device will be available in a 90nm shrink version. The endurance of the data Flash is 30,000 erase/write cycles, or 480kcycles if blocks are used consecutively.

The non-conducting nitride floating gate helps make MONOS Flash reliable. With this technique it is impossible for a defect to have a negative effect on the charges trapped at nitride layer. Only charges near the defect/disturbance are affected.

Renesas has developed high-speed flash memory capable of random access at up to 100 MHz, and the H8SX/1725F has 256Kbytes of this high-speed flash memory on-chip for program storage use. This allows 1-cycle access by the CPU even at 80 MHz operation, enabling programs to be executed at high-speed, and making it possible to implement high-performance systems.

This flash memory can be programmed at high speed within a temperature range of –40ºC to 85ºC , and the 256Kbyte programming time has been reduced by approximately two-thirds, from approximately 10 seconds to approximately 3 seconds, compared with Renesas's current H8SX/1520 Series. This contributes a throughput improvement of programming process.

The H8SX/1725F also has on-chip data flash − that is, flash memory for data storage − for which 15-year data retention is guaranteed after 480,000 program and erasure. This memory can be used to replace external EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable read only memory) previously provided for data storage purposes, helping to achieve parts count and cost reductions.

This data flash also incorporates a background operation function that allows program storage flash memory to be accessed by the CPU, making application execution possible, even during rewriting of data flash contents. This enables data flash data rewriting to be performed efficiently when the CPU is operating.

The device has been developed for airbags, electronic power steering, industrial and medical applications. It also has the high reliability that medical applications demand.

The H8SX/1725F operates from a single 5V power supply, which helps reliability because of the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The modern CISC H8SX CPU core has eight general purpose registers, each 32-bit wide and delivers 1 DMIPS/MHZ performance, which is fully supported by the zero-wait MONOS Flash as well as by the fast 24KByte RAM. The H8SX CPU also has a 16x16-bit multiplier/divider hardware that greatly benefits the execution speed of DSP-type maths algorithms.

The peripheral set comprises a 4-channel DMA controller, a flexible DMA-style function called Data Transfer Controller (DTC), 2-channel CAN, 2-channel SCI, 4-channel high-speed serial interface, a 16-channel ADC, and a watchdog timer. It also features a Programmable Pulse Generator (PPG) that has real-time outputs to drive stepper motors. The device has 61 GPIO as well as 17 inputs.

The device provides 12 channels of 16-bit timers with a 16ns resolution, that can manage up to 32 inputs or outputs. Channels can also be cascaded to 32-bit, buffered for lower interrupt load or generate up to 15 PWM. Finally, there is a phase-counting mode for quadrature encoders.

The H8SX/1725F is available in a RoHS compliant 100-pin LQFP. It is supported by Renesas’ popular E10A-debugger. An evaluation board SDK1725 is under development and planned for November 2008. C-Compiler options are the Renesas C Compiler as well as the free-of-charge GNU C Compiler from KPIT Cummins Infosystems(www.gnuh8.com).

More information: http://www.renesas.com or for Europe http://eu.renesas.com