OREANDA-NEWS. August 27, 2015. Seiko Epson Corporation (TSE: 6724, "Epson") has begun shipping samples of the S1C17W18, the latest addition to Epson's S1C17W00 series of 1.2 V, low-power 16-bit microcontrollers with on-chip flash memory. Volume production will start in March 2016, with monthly production of 200,000 units planned. Samples of the new MCU come in SQFN9 64-pin packages.

Microcontrollers in the S1C17W00 series operate on a small, low-capacity button battery and can be connected to a variety of sensors, making them an ideal and popular choice for mobile gear. Demand has grown for microcontrollers like the new S1C17W18 that are capable of storing large programs and driving high-resolution displays because product developers continue to add more and better features to their goods including digital watches, remote controllers, healthcare devices and security tokens*.

The S1C17W18 has advanced in significant ways compared to its predecessor, Epson's 16-bit S1C17W15 flash microcontroller. It has double the flash memory, double the embedded RAM, and an LCD driver that is capable of displaying up to 352 segments, which is equivalent to 1.4 times that of the S1C17W15. Yet the S1C17W18 consumes 40% less current in RUN mode-a world-class 150 µA/MHz-while keeping the same 0.15 µA current consumption in SLEEP mode.

Epson developed the flash memory that enables this low current consumption in RUN mode. The memory can be rewritten on a single 3 V power supply, and Epson guarantees 1,000 rewrite cycles. Built-in oscillator circuits can output seven different frequencies, eliminating the need for external oscillators, reducing total part counts, and saving board space.

Epson is committed to helping its customers improve the performance of their products with solutions that leverage Epson's core technologies that are more compact, save energy and offer outstanding precision.

* A device that generates a one-time password for security purposes