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Amidst the increasing importance of extended battery operation and low power consumption in devices for all sorts of products, NEC Electronics has developed a 32-bit microcontroller capable of achieving class-leading power consumption that is more than 50% lower than existing products. Behind this achievement was a development team that faced its challenges head-on.

The ZigBee® short distance communication protocol has recently been receiving a great deal of attention. With low cost and low power consumption, ZigBee protocol is an ideal technology for forming a mesh network. This article introduces ZigBee network solutions, which are realized utilizing the NEC Electronics' All Flash microcontrollers.

Since becoming a premium member in AUTOSAR NEC Electronics has also assumed a very active role in the standardization work to build a common platform for software development. AUTOSAR is a consortium made up of vehicle manufacturers, ECU suppliers, and software development tool vendors. We asked an engineer of NEC Electronics Europe about the activities in AUTOSAR.

This is the story of the development of an automotive power MOSFET aimed at attaining a high current output of 160A or more. Here, at last, is the second part of an article we first introduced in 2004 titled, "The path traveled by the creators of the NP Series of ultra-low on-resistance power MOSFETs for automobiles: Breaking the 2 mΩ barrier."

NEC Electronics is the leader in driver ICs for large-screen LCDs. This article introduces one of the new technologies and the background behind the development of a new source driver IC for full high-definition large-screen LCD TVs.

Due to the increasing prevalence of wireless LAN environments, it is now commonplace for notebook PCs, handheld game consoles and other such devices to come equipped with wireless transmission functions. This article introduces NEC Electronics RF devices that can be used not only to increase transmission clarity but also to extend battery life.

When it comes to microcontrollers for car audio use, NEC Electronics is the industry leader. This article introduces the untold story behind the creation of the world's first digital tuning system for car audio use, traces the history of how microcontrollers have supported the evolution of car audio and provides an overview of the latest microcontrollers equipped with flash technology.

Along with the spread of mobile audio players capable of recording music onto memory or hard disk, rapid advancements have been made toward incorporating music playback functions in mobile phones. This article introduces NEC Electronics' µPD99910 audio processor for mobile phones that enables 50 hours of continuous music playback.

Model-based development aimed at improving development efficiency is attracting a great deal of attention as the scale and complexity of control software for automobiles and motors increase. This article introduces the V850™ Integrated Development Environment in conjunction with MATLAB®, which has become the mainstream simulation tool in this field.

Digital movie cameras, which were developed by integrating digital camera and movie functions, are currently enjoying immense popularity. This article introduces NEC Electronics' motor driver ICs, which help reduce motor driving noise and enable the creation of slimmer, lighter and thinner products, and also presents a case study about how one of our customers has employed motor driver ICs in its digital movie cameras.

NEC Electronics' key partner companies in the embedded systems industry have already indicated that they are fully committed to making their products compliant with "All Flash" MCUs. This article presents excerpts of interviews with representatives from two of NEC Electronics' partner companies, Yokogawa Digital Computer Corporation and GAIO TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.

Inverter control is increasingly being adopted for use in a broad array of popular products such as air conditioners. This article introduces how inverter control microcontrollers work to make products more energy efficient.

A seminar aimed at providing information on 8-bit "all flash" microcontroller solutions and answering questions about these devices was held in Tokyo on July 15, and in Osaka on July 22, 2005.

NEC Electronics has an extensive lineup of power management devices designed for a broad range of applications. This article introduces our power MOSFET products.

T-Engine development kits are essential for embedded systems, which are evolving as we move toward the realization of a network society. Here we will introduce T-Engine activities being carried out by NEC Electronics.

By working with partner companies toward the adoption of inline programming, a method used to perform write operations on mass production lines, NEC Electronics is making it possible for customers to have peace of mind when using 8-bit all-flash MCUs.

As the computerization of automotive control systems advances, finding a way to make software development more efficient has become a challenge. Here we will introduce the V850 Integrated Development Environment (IDE) in conjunction with MATLAB®, a product that is fast becoming the mainstream in control system development.

In Japan, mobile phone sounds are becoming increasingly diversified as a result of the popularization of Chaku-melo™ (ring tone melodies) and Chaku-uta® (ring tone songs). In this article, we will introduce our new melody LSI chip, a device that is sure to further enrich the sounds heard on today's mobile phones.

In collaboration with NEC Kansai Factory, NEC Electronics began a project to develop history-making power MOSFETs that would break 2m ohm on-resistance. It was an uneasy start with no basis for reaching its target, and the difficult requirements needed for automotive use gave project team members a premonition of troubles ahead.

Power MOSFETs are the key to simplifying and lightening the equipment used in automobile electrical systems such as power steering systems. NEC Electronics found itself lagging behind a rival manufacturer in capitalizing on the potential value in performance of power MOSFETs. It was then and there that the company decided to reverse the tides and embark on the challenge of becoming the industry leader.

Demand is growing for mobile phones designed for videophoning and moving image transmission use. Here we will introduce NEC Electronics' mobile current mode advanced differential signaling (Mobile CMADS™), a high-speed serial interface that provides manufacturers with more freedom when designing mobile telephones.

A new project got its start when a customer requested that NEC Electronics find a way to equip an ASIC with a V850 core. Even though the differing cultures for microcontroller and ASIC design caused confusion at times, the engineers involved made a tremendous effort and overcame their differences.

Here we introduce the 8-bit microcontroller and the role it plays to ensure our safety in gas meters-with no need for replacement for up to ten years.

Here we will introduce the role that the 8-bit microcontroller has played in the remarkable evolution of the digital still camera.

Due to increasing concern over environmental issues and safety, automobile manufacturers began looking to make improvements in every aspect of performance. NEC's sales, design & development and production departments came together to focus on realizing a microcontroller with high reliability and quality.

Making the transition from 16-bit to 32-bit and the shift from CISC to RISC... This is a chronicle of the continuing story of the young engineers who took on the task of creating a low-cost, single-chip microcontroller with high performance.

There was a growing demand in the market for further reductions in size and price. However, the journey made by the development team was by no means a smooth one. After the successful development of SOI, they began to work toward the realization of TCP.

3G mobile phones are beginning to show signs of full-fledged diffusion. Here we will introduce semiconductor technologies developed by NEC Electronics that are being utilized in service area expansion.

The 192-output PDP data driver IC that won the Advanced Display of the Year (ADY) 2003 Grand Prize: The resolute commitment of the engineers led to what would become their first attempts at developing the SOI process and realizing TCP.

As environmental awareness grows, semiconductors employed in electronic control systems are in the spotlights by the automotive industry. This article introduces power MOSFETs from NEC Electronics that contribute to environmentally friendly automobile production.

It wasn't all that long ago that satellite communication came to mind when thinking about a means of communication that could be employed regardless of location. Now, however, mobile phones probably first come to mind for the majority of us.

Have you noticed recently that it has become much easier to connect peripheral devices such as printers and digital cameras to your computer? Previously, for you to use peripheral devices, they needed to be plugged into the computer before the computer was turned on.