- Maxim Integrated’s new Arm Cortex-M4-based MCU provides reliable operation uninterrupted by bit flips
- Also allows developers to offer a low-power solution
Maxim Integrated has launched the MAX32670, a low-power Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller (MCU) with floating-point unit. The device protects all embedded memory for both flash and SRAM with error-code correction (ECC) to provide the highest reliability MCU, thus reducing the power consumption and size while increasing the reliability of industrial, healthcare and internet of things (IoT) applications.
In many industrial and IoT applications, high energy particles and other environmental challenges present the danger of bombarding memory and creating bit flips during operation, especially as process nodes drop to 40nm and lower. This can disrupt the MCU operation and produce incorrect or even dangerous results. To prevent such an event to happen, the MAX32670 protects an MCU’s entire memory footprint (384kB flash and 128kB SRAM) with ECC to prevent bit flips and enhance reliability. With ECC, single-bit errors are detected and corrected by hardware, making it difficult for bit-flip errors to have a negative impact on the application.
Low-power
With just 40µW/MHz of active power consumption, the MAX32670 executes commands from flash at 40 per cent low power than alternative solutions. It is the lowest power solution for battery-operated sensor applications. MAX32670 is also 50 per cent smaller, allowing developers to reduce solution size and material costs.
Highlights
- High Reliability: ECC-protected flash and SRAM prevent bit flips for higher uptime; secure boot and crypto hardware enhance reliability.
- Lowest Power: 40µW/MHz of active power consumption.
- World’s Smallest: 50 per cent smaller footprint than competitors – comes in ultra-small 1.8mm-x-2.6mm WLP and 5mm-x-5mm TQFN.
“Bit flipping becomes a critical reliability concern as microcontrollers scale down to 40nm and below,” said Kris Ardis, executive director, Micros, Security and Software Business Unit at Maxim Integrated. “The MAX32670 is designed with a high degree of protection against these events so our customers have the reliability they can trust as they ready new systems in long lifetime and mission-critical applications.”
The MAX32670 and the MAX32670EVKIT# is available at Maxim Integrated’s website and also from authorized distributors.
