12/24/09 — MCUs integrate a efficient dc-to-dc converter designed to operate down to 0.9 V, enabling low-cost battery operation, which supports smaller form factors, reduces system cost and provides an innovative way to extend battery life. Addressing the need for energy efficiency in power-sensitive applications, Silicon Laboratories Inc. (NASDAQ: SLAB), a provider of high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs, has introduced the industry’s lowest power microcontroller (MCU) family. Silicon Labs’ ultra-low-power C8051F91x/0x MCUs dramatically increase battery life in portable designs and other power-sensitive embedded systems. The new F91x/0x MCUs are ideal for a wide range of applications where low power consumption is critical such…

10/03/09 — Maxim Integrated Products’ newest MAXQ mixed-signal microcontroller provides a compact system-on-a-chip for accurate ultrasonic distance measurements, and adds intelligence to cost-sensitive sensor-conditioning applications. Maxim Integrated Products (NASDAQ: MXIM) introduces the newest member of its MAXQ RISC microcontroller product line: the MAXQ7667 SoC (system-on-chip), mixed-signal microcontroller for ultrasonic sensor applications. A highly integrated DAS (data-acquisition system), this SoC provides a cost-effective solution for applications that must measure weak signals over long distances or identify multiple targets. Its integrated functions, moreover, allow designers to add intelligence to cost-sensitive sensor-conditioning applications. The MAXQ7667 is optimized for automotive-sensor systems such as EPA (electronic parking…