NEC Electronics Introduces V850E/RS1 Microcontroller For High-End Automotive Safety Applications

New 32-Bit Microcontroller Provides Fast Processing and Dedicated Onboard Safety Features to Ensure Real Time Performance

NEC Electronics Corporation and its subsidiaries in Europe and the United States, NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH and NEC Electronics America, Inc., today announced the availability of their latest 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) for the automotive market, the V850E/RS1™.  With a high-performance 40-megahertz (MHz) V850E™ controller core and dedicated on-board safety features including 10-bit 16-channel analog/digital converter (ADC) with auto discharge and diagnostic functionality, buffered clocked serial interface (CSI), and flash memory with hardware in-circuit error correction (ECC), the V850E/RS1 controller is ideally suited for real-time, safety critical automotive applications such as restraint control modules.

“NEC Electronics is a leading provider of restraint control microcontrollers for automotive OEMs due to the extensive application-specific features that we integrate into our products,” said Yoshiyuki Idogawa, general manager, 1st Solutions Division, NEC Electronics Corporation.  “By supporting these features in hardware, not just software, NEC Electronics is providing its automotive customers with higher performing, highly reliable products.”

Automotive applications, such as restraint control modules, require fast processing performance to deliver the real-time response needed when deploying an airbag at the instant of impact.  The V850E/RS1 controller core can operate at 40 MHz and deliver 54 million instructions per second (MIPS), providing the required real-time performance.  The controller’s use of flash memory with hardware ECC greatly reduces the possibility of system error.  Two versions of the MCU will be available, one with 256 kilobytes (K) flash memory and 16K random access memory (RAM), and the second with 128K flash memory and 10K RAM. Additionally, the V850E/RS1 MCU’s buffered CSI enhances communication with ASICs in the restraint control module to further ensure error-free operation.

For customers adhering to manufacturing quality assurance processes, versions of the V850E/RS1 controller that are PPAP, AEC-Q100 and QS9000 certified are available.

Availability
The V850E/RS1 microcontroller is packaged in a 100-pin low quad flat package (LQFP).  NEC Electronics will begin taking orders for engineering samples in April. Engineering samples of the V850E/RS1 MCU are scheduled to be available in July 2004 with mass production scheduled for third quarter 2005 at a production volume of 200,000 units per month.  Availability is subject to change.

About NEC Electronics Automotive Products
NEC Electronics' automotive product line offers a broad range of semiconductor components for automotive systems, such as application-specific MCUs for body control, dashboard, airbag, engine control and car audio systems.  These low-power, low-electromagnetic interference (EMI), high-performance MCUs feature integrated peripherals specifically optimized for automotive applications, as well as integrated CAN- and J1850-type multiplexing buses.  In addition to MCUs, NEC Electronics also offers an extensive variety of power MOSFET devices to be used in various automotive environments.  NEC Electronics has worldwide resources with highly experienced staff in the United States, Japan and Europe.  NEC Electronics’ worldwide manufacturing facilities are QS-9000 certified to meet the high-quality standards of customers in the North American automotive industry.

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Information in the press releases, including product prices and specifications is current on the date of the press announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice.