Inspiring the Evolution of Embedded Design

July 12, 2022

Microcontroller Watch

Renesas’s RX23W Group of Tiny Microcontrollers has Bluetooth 5 LE and Aimed at Medical Patches

The development of the RX23W group of MCUs incorporates security functions that are so important to Bluetooth 5.0 and IoT devices. The RX23W family has a wealth of peripheral functionality, including touch keys, USB, and CAN. This enables system control and wireless communication with devices utilizing a single chip.

Maker Builds Pocket FM Radio Based on an ATtiny Microcontroller

An industrious maker has built a pocket-sized FM radio, based on an ATtiny Microcontroller. Many people of a certain age will remember that AM/FM radio was one of the very few forms of audio playback available to them. That was before the MP3, the USB Drive, Streaming, or even the Internet allowed us to listen to music in a myriad of ways.

Texas Instruments Launches Affordable Bluetooth LE Wireless MCU CC2340

The MCUs feature best-in-class standby current and radio-frequency (RF) performance, for the SimpleLink Bluetooth LE CC2340 family pricing is as low as $0.79, encouraging the expansion of Bluetooth LE connectivity to more products in more markets. The CC2340R2 and CC2340R5 wireless MCU, follow a long history of previous successful wireless connectivity products

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Editor's Desk by Stephen Vicinanza

Microcontroller Giants are Joining Together to Build Chips World Wide

STMicro, Global Foundries, Intel, and NXP, to name a few of the giants in chip manufacturing are partnering with other companies to build chip manufacturing factories in Europe and the United States in a push toward giving countries the ability to build chips at home and reduce dependence on Asian markets.

It has long been well-known that Asia builds chips, but with the recent shortage, and a need for expansion due to increasing need, the chip manufacturers are building chip plants all over the world on a huge scale.

This is being done not only to alleviate some of the monopolistic tendencies of the Asian markets but also because chip manufacturing is becoming an industry that every country is going to need. This is due to the growth of the markets, throughout the world. Distribution is becoming more sensitive, and shipping tends to be slow from Asian countries.

Microcontrollers are becoming more functional, with ever-expanding capabilities in more ways than had been previously provisioned for. Such areas as Bluetooth 5.0 LE, Audio LE, Ultra-low-power, and other power-focused initiatives are creating a market that hadn’t been there before. More developers are able to use more chips in devices with increased features and functionality.

The bottom line is while the chip shortage may be showing signs of waning, a worry of a cancellation surge due to a recession in the global economy, the vast majority of chip manufacturers are speaking a different language. The language of abundance.

Plants in the United States and Germany are being funded for over $100 billion by private funding sources and government subsidies and incentives in the billions. France is getting a new plant in Colles and the French government are subsidizing 8 billion of the cost.

A large portion of the monies being raised going into cooperative agreements, where companies that were competing with each other up until now are working in concert to meet a demand that they feel will rocket the industry into the trillions.

In many ways, these initiatives are working together for a common cause, the chips that are running billions of devices across the globe. Those devices are becoming increasingly necessary for people to live their lives.

Keep an eye on the product news and announcements this week, STMicro and Global Foundries are both building partnerships and factories, and all this leads to the Internet of Things Technology Focus next week in the newsletter.

3.5” SBC Comes with BGA Processor, Dual GbE and Triple Display

The ECM-TGUC from Avalue, is a 3.5” Single Board Computer powered by Intel’s 11th Gen Core processors. Unlike other SBCs, this one has the processor and chipset mounted on the back of the board to lower temperature and free up space.