New 16-Bit LOW-POWER 256K Flash Microcontroller from National w/ Bluetooth, CAN, USB

By Bill Giovino, Microcontroller.com
Nov 12, 2002 - 8:00:00 AM

National Semiconductor has introduced a Bluetooth microcontroller with 256K Flash, 10K SRAM, a wealth of peripherals, and draws only 12mA at 24MHz

Microcontroller.com, November 12, 2002 - National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM) today announced a major technology advance in low power Microcontroller technology. National's new CP3000 family of 16-bit embedded connectivity processors will dramatically simplify the creation of linked networks and connected devices.

The CP3000 family includes the hardware, software, development tools and technical support to simplify and reduce the design and qualification cycle of connected embedded applications.

National Semiconductor's CP3BT10, CP3BT13, CP3UB17 and CP3CN17 processors bridge the different connectivity and protocol standards in networks.

"The CP3000 family from National Semiconductor is a major step forward for embedded connectivity", said Bill Giovino, Executive Editor of Microcontroller.com. "At 24MHz internal clock speed, the CP3000 family draws a scant 12mA while still maintaining deterministic performance. That's unheard of for Flash microcontrollers, especially considering the wealth of peripherals."

"The explosive growth of the Internet has given birth to various local and wide area network standards," said Joe Montalbo, vice president for National's Device Connectivity Division. "National's CP3000 family enables communications between networks and nodes with different standards and protocol stacks."

The first product family to be introduced by National's new Device Connectivity Division, the CP3000 processors include Flash program memory and a wide variety of embedded peripherals, including:

- 24MHz (internal) Operation
- 256K Flash
- 10K SRAM
- 8K Data Flash ("EEPROM")
- USB
- CAN
- USART
- SPI
- Access.bus (I2C™ compatable)
- Bluetooth

Bluetooth On Board!
Also included on-chip is a fully embedded Bluetooth™ interface that includes baseband processing, a host protocol stack and dedicated profiles. The CP3000 family directly targeting real-world Bluetooth products including Automotive dashboards, hands-free speaker systems, automobile entertainment systems, utilities metering, digital still and streaming cameras, standalone keyboards, mobile phone universal headsets and digital multimedia speakers.

"Consumer device manufacturers are well-versed in the intricacies of their products, but most are unfamiliar with RF and connectivity standards such as Bluetooth and CAN," Montalbo said. "National is leveraging its core analog, wireless and microcontroller technologies and infrastructure to develop a complete device connectivity solution to simplify the system design process."

Embedded Development Tools

Embedded Development Tools

Software Support
National provides extensive software support including Bluetooth APIs, interface drivers, driver software, and protocol stacks. Compilers, evaluation boards, and worldwide technical support is available from National and also 3rd party technology partners.

Features and Benefits
The CP3BT10, CP3BT13, CP3UB17 and CP3CN17 connectivity processors feature National's ultra-low power CR16C 16-bit variable-RISC microcontroller core and a wealth of on-chip peripherals. Additional features include:

- multifunction timers
- audio interfaces
- USARTs
- Fully Programmable I/O ports
- temperature range of -40 to +85ºC

The CP3000 family is manufactured at National Semiconductor's 0.25µ CMOS embedded Flash process South Portland, Maine fab.

CP3BT10 and CP3BT13
The CP3BT10 and CP3BT13 processors include the Bluetooth baseband module. Each interfaces directly to National's LMX5250/1 Bluetooth transceiver. The processors allow easy access from the user's application code to the Bluetooth module via the supplied Application Programming Interface (API).

CP3UB17 and CP3CN17
The CP3UB17 and CP3CN17 connectivity processors target automotive, industrial, PC and consumer applications where Bluetooth technology is not required. The CP3UB17 provides USB, AccessBus, I2C and SPI interfaces, while the CP3CN17 offers CAN, Access. bus and SPI interfaces.

Packages Compared to U.S. dime

Packages Compared to U.S. dime

Pricing and Availability
All of the CP3000 connectivity processors are sampling today.
1,000Ku in 48-pin chip scale packages / 100-pin LQFP
- CP3BT10 is $7.00 / $8.00
- CP3BT13 is $7.25 / $8.25
- CP3UB17 is $6.40 / $7.40
- CP3CN17 is $6.50 / $7.50

Production quantities will be available in first quarter 2003.

For more information about these connectivity devices, visit National's World Wide Web site at http://www.national.com/appinfo/CP3000/.

About National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor is the premier analog company driving the information age. Combining real-world analog and state-of-the-art digital technology, the company is focused on the fast growing markets for wireless handsets; displays; information infrastructure, and information appliances. With headquarters in Santa Clara, California, National reported sales of $1.5 billion for its most recent fiscal year and has about 10,000 employees worldwide. Additional company and product information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com.