SANTA CLARA, USA & DUESSELDORF, GERMANY: NEC Electronics America Inc. and NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH have introduced the world’s first microcontroller (MCU), part number uPD78F8024, with a constant high-current driver (HCD).

The new HCD/LED MCU can be used in lighting applications that use more than one LED, in industrial control applications featuring stepping motor and solenoid drives, and in switching-mode power supplies. Developed in collaboration with leading LED solutions supplier Future Lighting Solutions (a division of Future Electronics), the two companies merged their expertise to develop this intelligent design approach to meet the growing market demands of LED lighting and other applications.

The new uPD78F8024 device combines an NEC Electronics 8-bit All Flash MCU with a four-channel HCD that helps reduce size and system cost. NEC Electronics and Future Lighting Solutions worked closely together to define specifications for the new device, which delivers efficient power management capability in street illumination, architecture, entertainment, emergency vehicle and display lighting systems.

The uPD78F8024 HCD/LED MCU integrates an 8-bit MCU and constant high-current driver with several discrete components in a low-profile quad flat package (LQFP). The MCU’s small size, compared to traditional device sizes, opens up space on a board for other components. By supporting switching frequencies up to 1 megahertz (MHz), the new device also allows designers to use smaller passive components such as inductors to further reduce board space, a particular benefit in architectural and general-purpose lighting applications and in display backlighting systems where space is at a premium.

Comprehensive development tools from NEC Electronics and third-party suppliers include C compilers, integrated development environments (IDEs), a full-function in-circuit emulator (ICE), an integrated debugger for design and development, and a PG-FP5 flash programmer. A full evaluation kit is also available, along with an Applilet automatic sample code generator that has been optimized specifically for the new HCD/LED device. Device samples are now available.