Among other things, the MCUs are equipped with up to two 16-bit PWM timers, which enable a precise PWM control in 65536 steps. An especially powerful oscillator, which allows control of the two integrated timers with a maximum of 40 MHz, hereby guarantees a fine-grained inverter control. Furthermore, both of the integrated timers are each capable of generating two non-overlapping outputs so that also four-channel LEDs with precise dimming and color control can be driven by a single MCU. In practice, one of the 16-bit PWM timers is used for control of the power factor cos? (PFC).
For a reliable protection against over-current or under-voltage, comparators with outputs linked directly to the PWM timer were integrated on the chips. Thus, if needed, the PWM output is immediately shut down without intervention of the CPU.
The new 8-bit microcontrollers consume only 0.7 µA in standby mode and 260 µA during operation at 1 MHz. This feature helps keep power consumption of the lighting as low as possible. Furthermore, an integrated Manchester encoder/decoder in the UART enables lighting control of multiple networked lighting devices in compliance with the digital addressable lighting interface (DALI) standard.
All MCUs of the 78K0/lx2 family are qualified for the extended operating temperature range from 40°C to +105°C and are offered, dependent on version, in a 16-pin, 20-pin or 30-pin SSOP package. Data sheets are immediately available from Gleichmann Electronics. Mass production is expected to begin in May 2009.