|
CAMPBELL,
CA. -- July 27, 1998 --
Summit
Microelectronics today announced the availability
of a pair of precision microprocessor supervisory
circuits that allow users to improve system
performance and at the same time to reduce the
number of devices on a circuit board.
The
new devices, the S4242
and S42WD42,
monitor the microprocessor supply voltage within a
system and generate active-hi and active-lo reset
outputs if that voltage falls below a certain
preset level. A separate analog input allows a
second voltage to be monitored and if this input
voltage falls below the threshold, a non-maskable
interrupt will be generated. "The second voltage
could be the system's unregulated supply, in which
case the devices can provide early warning of a
power failure," explained Rich Palm, Summit's Vice
President of Marketing. "It could also be a second
voltage on a dual voltage PCB or it could be used
as a low battery voltage warning. The S42WD42 has
all of these features plus it incorporates a
watchdog timer," Palm added.
The
S4242
devices are the world's first full feature
microprocessor supervisors that include on-board
nonvolatile memory, enabling designers to eliminate
one or more circuits in a typical
microprocessor-based system.
The
EEPROM within the device communicates via a
standard 2-wire serial interface (I2C).
Incorporating a reset circuit with the EEPROM in
the S4242
provides WRITE protection of the memory during low
supply-voltage conditions. explained "The
importance of this feature is frequently overlooked
and it may result in data corruption problems.
Hence, the S4242
family offers a more compact and reliable system
solution at or below the price of a traditional
microprocessor supervisory circuit," Palm
added.
The
S4242
is available for 3- and 5-volt systems and operates
with a 50µA max supply current at 5V. When the
EEPROM is being programmed supply current will
increase to 3mA maximum for approximately
10ms.
The
4k-bit section of nonvolatile memory is organized
as 512 x 8 and is designed for systems that require
1,000,000 erase/write cycles and unlimited read
cycles. Data retention is specified as 100 years,
with or without power applied, and after the
execution of 1,000,000 erase/write
cycles.
The
S4242
is available for operation over the industrial
temperature range of -40 to +85 degrees Centigrade.
The circuit is available in surface-mount SO-8, and
8-pin PDIP packages, with prices stating at $1.67
in 1,000-unit quantities.
Since
its formation in January 1997, Summit has
introduced three families of analog circuits, all
of which use on-chip EEPROM cells for trimming the
analog circuits.
Summit
Microelectronics, Inc. focuses on the integration
of analog and EEPROM technologies to provide
cost-effective solutions to a variety of
applications in the telecommunications, consumer
and automotive markets. Its website is
www.summitmicro.com.
Press
Contacts:
Rick Orlando, President & CEO: (408)
378-6461,
Rich
Palm, Vice President of Marketing: (408) 378-6461,
###
Summit
Microelectronics, Inc.
1717 Fox Drive
San Jose, CA 95131-2312
Tel: +1.408-436-9890
Email:
|
press
archives