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Designers Enjoy New Freedoms with ZiLOG's New Easy to Use 8-pin Addition to Award-Winning Z8 Encore! XP(R) MCU Family

Low Cost Addition to 8-Bit Family Cuts PCB Footprint for Design Engineers by 80 Percent and Offers Full Size Functionality

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ZiLOG(R), Inc. (Nasdaq: ZILG - News), a leading provider of integrated 8-bit microcontroller solutions, today expanded its product portfolio by launching an innovative, 8-pin, low cost, small footprint addition to its award-winning Z8 Encore! XP(R) family of microcontrollers (MCUs). The new device, nicknamed the "tiny dynamo" by ZiLOG insiders, packs all the punch of its larger XP family members, but uses 80 percent less space on the printed circuit board (PCB). In common with other Z8 Encore! XP(R) devices, this easy to use, 8-pin version uses ZiLOG's popular eZ8(R) core, which offers design engineers a higher level of integration with low overall system costs. This commonality enables ease of design and, because all Z8 Encore! XP(R) devices are code compatible, easy migration of one product to another.

As electronic design evolves, devices in application markets such as personal handheld electronics, security, home appliances, consumer electronics and games have become increasingly complex and feature-rich. Demand for products that are easy to use, power efficient and offer high levels of integration have become key requirements for design engineers as they pack more functionality onto each new chip. As a result, board real estate now comes at a premium and must be utilized as fully and as intelligently as possible. ZiLOG says that its new 8-Pin XP is a major win for design engineers because it overcomes these challenges and offers unparalleled ease of use when compared with similar solutions from key competitors here in the USA and in Asia.

"We continue to see a growing need for MCUs to have all the features and functions of a larger device yet take up much less space on the PCB. In recent talks with some customers who have tested and compared the 8-pin XP to competitors' solutions, our new 8-pin XP scored highest in ease of use and overall performance," observed Ramesh Ramchandani, executive vice president of sales and marketing. ZiLOG noted that its new Z8 Encore! XP 8-pin family simply grants design engineers greater freedom to design without being limited by board space and cost. "Our first 8-pin offering meets these market demands, leaving our customers to design innovative products that open up a world of applications that are smaller, faster and easier to use," noted Ramchandani.

More Functionality

The new 8-pin devices offer exactly the same on-chip functions previously only available with the larger Z8 Encore! XP devices. However, these functions, which include a full-range temperature sensor, single pin debugger and trans-impedance amplifier, are now available in the smaller 8-pin package. What's more, this latest addition means that ZiLOG's expanded MCU product portfolio now offers designers a high degree of choice and flexibility, with pin counts extending from 8 to 80. The new product roll-out also opens up a wide range of application possibilities for design engineers and for ZiLOG.

"We are extremely excited about the numerous possibilities the Z8 Encore! XP 8-pin brings to the market, and we have already secured several design wins, receiving very positive, initial feedback from the design engineering community," noted Ramchandani. "We are also optimistic about demand for this product from new sectors such as health and fitness, remote transmitters and receivers, smart card readers and battery charger markets, among others."

Pricing and Availability

The Z8 Encore! XP 8-pin products are available now in SOIC, PDIP and MLF-S versions and will retail at $1.25 per unit in quantities of 10,000 units. Also available is an accompanying development kit, which retails for just $49, and allows for rapid application development and shorter time to market. Further information on the products and ordering information can be found at www.zilog.com.

Features of the Z8 Encore! XP 8-pin MCUs

-- 20MHz eZ8 CPU core
-- Up to 4KB Flash memory with in-circuit programming capability
-- Up to 1KB register RAM
-- Up to 128B non volatile data storage (NVDS)
-- Up to 8 channels 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC)
-- On-chip temperature sensor
-- On-chip analog comparator
-- On-chip trans-impedance (current sense) amplifier
-- Full-duplex 9-bit UART with bus transceiver
-- Infrared data association (IrDA)-compliant infrared encoder/decoders
-- Two 16-bit timers with capture, compare, and PWM capability
-- Watch-dog timer (WDT) with internal RC oscillator
-- 6-25 I/O pins depending upon package
-- Up to 18 interrupts with configurable priority
-- Single pin On-chip debugger
-- Voltage brown-out protection (VBO)
-- Power-on reset (POR)
-- Internal precision oscillator (5MHz/32KHz)
-- Crystal oscillator with three power settings and external RC network
option
-- 2.7-3.6V operating voltage with 5V-tolerant inputs
-- 0 degrees to +70 degrees C standard temperature and -40 degrees to
+105 degrees C extended temperature operating ranges

About ZiLOG, Inc.

ZiLOG, Inc. founded in 1974, won international acclaim for designing one of the first architectures in the microprocessors and microcontrollers industry. Today, ZiLOG is a leading global supplier of 8-bit micro-logic devices. ZiLOG designs, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of devices for embedded control and communication applications used in consumer electronics, home appliances, security systems, point of sales terminals, personal computer peripherals, as well as industrial and automotive applications. ZiLOG is headquartered in San Jose, California, and employs approximately 520 people worldwide with sales offices and design centers throughout Asia, Europe and North America. For more information about ZiLOG and its products, visit the Company's website at: www.ZiLOG.com.

NOTE: ZiLOG, Z8, Z80, Z8Encore!, eZ8 and Z8Encore!XP are trademarks or registered trademarks of ZiLOG, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. Other product and or service names mentioned herein may be trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.

See Us at Embedded World, Nuremberg, Hall 12, Stand 142.

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Source: ZiLOG, Inc.

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