Nuvoton Levels Up MCU Series to 32 Bits to Bolster Smart Home Systems

Nuvoton Technology has introduced the new Arm Cortex-M23 core M2003 series microcontrollers (MCU) with upgraded 32-bit performance. The company designed this new MCU to meet the expanding performance requirements of industrial automation, smart home, energy storage, and automotive electronics applications.

Nuvoton M2003 series. Image (modified) used courtesy of Nuvoton

32-bit MCUs are replacing 8-bit devices as the de facto solution for various applications that require higher performance. The M2003 series helps customers meet cost targets with an easy-to-generate 5-V nominal operating voltage and a compact 20-pin package that simplifies layouts and maintains 32-bit performance. 

The M2003's General Specifications

The M2003 series (datasheet linked) employs a 32-bit Arm Cortex-M23 core with an operating frequency of up to 24 MHz. Other features include a 32-bit hardware multiplier/divider, 32 KB of Flash memory, and 4 KB of SRAM. The new MCU operates from a 5-V nominal (2.4 V to 5.5 V) power rail and is specified for an operating temperature range of -40°C to 105°C, sufficient for automotive applications. 

M2003 series functional block diagram. Image used courtesy of Nuvoton

Timer functions include four sets of 32-bit timers, one watchdog timer, and a three-channel input capture timer. A broad selection of communication interfaces includes two UARTs, I²C, and a universal serial control interface (USCI) that can be configured as UART, SPI, or I²C. FIFO capabilities for each communication interface ensure data integrity during high-speed operation.    

Integrated peripherals include an eight-channel, 12-bit 500-ksps ADC and a six-channel, 16-bit PWM that allow users to cost-effectively interface with sensors and other analog circuitry.

Pin Compatibility

The layout of the M2003 TSSOP20 and QFN20 (3 mm x 3 mm) packages are pin compatible with existing 8-bit MCU models including the N76E003, N76S003, MS51, and MG51 series. 

M2003 QFN20 pinout. Image used courtesy of Nuvoton

Pin compatibility with prior-generation MCUs will allow designers to easily adopt the new 32-bit technology with few modifications to migrate layout and hardware.

NuTool CodeGenerator

Nuvoton developed the NuTool CodeGenerator to support quick MCU initialization projects and help define peripheral, pin, and clock configuration functions.

NuTool CodeGenerator GUI. Image used courtesy of Nuvoton

The user interface allows designers to enter their desired system parameters, which the tool then uses to generate an initial code set that reflects the requirements, saving significant development time during initial setup. Projects can be opened and built in Keil, IAR, or NuEclipse. 

Smart Thermostat Reference Design

Based on the Nuvoton N9H20 series general-purpose microprocessor, the NuMaker-Thermostat-N9H20 is a GUI reference implementation for smart thermostat human-machine interface (HMI) applications.

For HMI, smart thermostats will typically have capacitive touch and haptics incorporated with a touchscreen controller to manage the user interface (touchscreen). The basic principles of this reference guide might be applied to the new higher capability 32-bit M2003 series as well.  

Functional block diagram of a smart thermostat with HMI. Image used courtesy of Texas Instruments