ST Microelectronics has announced a new version of its M41ST85 serial realtime clock (RTC) and supervisor chip that includes a 32 kHz crystal and comes in a low-profile, small footprint SOX28 package. Available in 3 V and 5 V versions, the M41ST85MX6 integrates many common functions and draws its back-up power from an external, customer-supplied battery, that is commonly present in systems, thereby saving space and cost.
By integrating the crystal into the package, a better match can be achieved between the IC and the crystal, improving timekeeping accuracy. The SOX28 package (2,4 mm high, 10,42 mm wide - including pins, 18,4 mm long) offers enhanced security by isolating the crystal from tampering, plus it better shields the crystal from humidity. It also reduces assembly cost by eliminating the mounting of the crystal.
Like its Snaphat packaged sibling, the M41ST85MH6, the M41ST85MX6 combines a serial RTC with microprocessor and NVRAM Supervisor functions. At the heart of the 'MX6 is the programmable, battery-backed RTC section, which contains counters that track time and date with resolution ranging from hundredths of a second up to the century. It is accessed via a 400 kHz I2C interface. The RTC section is organised as 64 x 8 bits, of which 44 bytes are general-purpose NVRAM, while the remaining 20 bytes are the RTC registers.
The NVRAM Supervisor section can be used to 'non-volatise' a low power SRAM, and its functions include an automatic battery switch-over circuit, a chip-enable gate for write protection and a battery monitor. This allows the user to create an NVRAM by using the 'MX6's back-up battery to also back-up the LPSRAM. The M41ST85MX6's microprocessor supervisor section includes an early power-fail warning circuit, with a 1,25 V reference, and a robust reset circuit, which can be triggered by multiple sources. The Watchdog can also be configured as a reset source, and is programmable for timeout periods ranging from 62,5 ms to 128 s.
Applications for the M41ST85MX6 include point-of-sale terminals, servers, medical systems, vending machines, SCSI peripherals, and arcade and other computer games.
For more information contact Simon Churches, Arrow Altech Distribution, 011 923 9600, [email protected]
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| Email: | [email protected] |
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