MCU enables pcb area savings of up to 40%
1 min read
An SoC mixed signal mcu, designed to integrate the functions needed to accurately measure small amplitude differential analogue input signals, has been unveiled by Maxim Integrated Products.
According to Maxim, the MAXQ7670A enables measurements in the microvolt range from various types of sensors, such as anisotropic magnetoresistive (amr) sensors. AMR sensors are typically used for contactless sensing of linear or angular displacement in automotive or industrial applications.
The microcontroller requires 5 x 5mm of board space and offers on-chip programmable gain control on each input channel. Maxim says that this avoids the need for external amplification of low amplitude signals, resulting in pcb area savings of up to 40%.
The device has been designed to digitise and process signals in harsh, space constrained environments, while the on chip risc cpu and embedded can bus controller are designed to allow real time data processing for smart sensor networks.
The MAXQ7670A features eight single ended/four differential inputs, followed by a programmable gain differential amplifier (1x or 16x) and 125ksps adc with 12bit resolution. It digitises sensor outputs for 'very precise' real world measurements, monitors supply rail voltage to respond to power failure conditions, and integrates a watchdog timer. Its digital interfaces consist of a can 2.0B controller, SPI interface, JTAG interface and seven general purpose I/Os. A general purpose timer with capture, compare, and PWM capability is also provided.
A 16bit risc MAXQ microcontroller core is included, which allows for single cycle data fetch and execution at 16MIPS. Additionally, the device integrates 2KB of sram for data and 64KB of automotive grade flash memory. In system programming is supported for field upgrades from a built in 8KB utility rom. According to Maxim, users can prevent unauthorized access to flash memory through a hardware password.
