Articles and news - Microcontrollers - 7

Because the 8-pin ATtinys only have a few GPIO pins available, they are usually operated without an external clock. The internal oscillator does a good job in most applications, but when it comes to precise timing, its ±10% accuracy is often insufficient...

ARM has developed the first full 32bit microcontroller built on a flexible plastic material using a 0.8 μm process from PragmatIC. The PlasticARM microcontroller consists of 56,340 NMOS transistors and resistors...

Infineon Technologies introduced the industry’s first high-voltage microcontroller with USB Power Delivery 3.1 support...

The simple ADC is perfect for getting analog signals into a purely digital microcontroller. Using just five surface-mount parts, you can assemble it for less than 50 cents, which is approximately half the cost of a single-chip-ADC approach in the same volume...

Most microprocessors have some type of hardware watchdog that can be used to reset the microprocessor and the surrounding hardware to a known state if firmware inadvertently stops executing code. But it may be advantageous to record the watchdog-overflow event in nonvolatile memory...

Driving multiple LEDs with one microprocessor GPIO pin is a well-known technique. Typically, designs perform this task by issuing pulse widths and clocks of differing durations and employing multiple RC networks to distinguish between them. The design described here is much simpler...

Holtek is delighted to announce the release of its new ATS 24-bit A/D Flash MCU, the BH66F2742. The main special feature of this device is its integrated accurate temperature sensor, ATS...

This Design Idea describes an enhancement to a previous one. The circuit uses a normally open SPST pushbutton switch, S1, instead of the SPDT switch that the original design required...

The 4- to 20-mA current loop is ubiquitous in the world of controls in manufacturing plants. Discrete logic, microprocessors, and microcontrollers easily cover the digital portions of control schemes, such as limit switches, pushbuttons, and signal lights...

When a processor-controlled device must operate reliably, designers often choose to periodically reset the processor rather than rely on a watchdog configuration...