NEC Electronics Expands F Series Microcontrollers for In-Vehicle Automotive Systems

New 32-bit V850ES/Fx3-L MCUs Deliver Increased Functionality, Flexibility for Comfort and Safety Applications

DUESSELDORF, Germany and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 21 -- Addressing the growing demand for greater automation of in-vehicle comfort and safety systems, NEC Electronics Europe and NEC Electronics America, Inc. today introduced 13 new 32-bit V850ES/Fx3-L(TM) microcontrollers (MCUs) that offer increased functionality at a low cost for automotive body and safety applications. As members of NEC Electronics' F Series MCUs, the new 32-bit devices provide the price/performance ratio required for anti-theft mechanisms, climate control systems, airbags, hands-free systems and small thin-film-transistor (TFT) products.

"New applications for in-vehicle comfort and safety are driving the need for electronic control units that provide greater levels of functionality and performance within prescribed pricing constraints," said Jim Trent, associate vice president and general manager, automotive strategic business unit, NEC Electronics America. "Our new 32-bit MCUs deliver that design flexibility and increased performance in a cost-effective, reliable solution."

NEC Electronics' 0.15-micron process technology enables the new V850ES/Fx3-L devices to execute 29 Dhrystone MIPS (DMIPS) at a clock speed of 20 megahertz (MHz). Flash ROM ranges from 64 to 256 kilobytes (KB) with RAM ranging from 6 to 12 KB, and the devices come in 64-, 80- or 100-pin packages that are pin-compatible with NEC Electronics' previous-generation V850ES/Fx2(TM) devices, making migration to the new devices seamless and fast.

The new V850ES/Fx3-L MCUs are software and hardware compatible with NEC Electronics' higher-performing V850ES/Fx3(TM) devices to provide a migration path for future system changes. In addition, all V850ES/Fx3 and V850ES/Fx3-L devices share the same hardware and software development tools.

In total, NEC Electronics now offers 29 V850ES/Fx3 MCUs for automotive control applications, giving customers greater product options and more design flexibility. All devices support the controller area network (CAN) and local interconnect network (LIN) protocols.

Flash memory in NEC Electronics' 32-bit V850ES(TM) MCUs is based on SuperFlash(R) technology licensed from Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. More information about NEC Electronics' products for automotive applications can be found at http://www.eu.necel.com/automotive.

Availability

Samples of the V850ES/Fx3-L MCUs are planned for spring 2008. Volume production is scheduled for autumn 2008. Availability is subject to change without notice.

About NEC Electronics

NEC Electronics Corporation specializes in semiconductor products encompassing advanced technology solutions for the high-end computing and broadband networking markets, system solutions for the mobile handsets, PC peripherals, automotive and digital consumer markets, and multi-market solutions for a wide range of customer applications. NEC Electronics Corporation has 25 subsidiaries worldwide including NEC Electronics America, Inc. (http://www.am.necel.com/) and NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH (http://www.eu.necel.com/). For additional information about NEC Electronics worldwide, visit http://www.necel.com/.

NEC Electronics, NEC Electronics Europe and NEC Electronics America are trademarks of NEC Corporation. V850ES, V850ES/Fx2, V850ES/Fx3 and V850ES/Fx3L are either registered trademarks or trademarks of NEC Electronics Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. SuperFlash is a registered trademark of Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. All other marks are property of their respective owners.