Cypress Semiconductor has introduced a new family in its PSoC 3 architecture. The family is optimised for applications requiring programmable digital peripherals. The new CY8C32xxx Programmable Digital PSoC 3 family enables the integration of digital peripherals including PWMs, timers, counters, UARTs, glue logic and state machines. The family also offers customisable digital functions and interfaces lowering overall system power by migrating traditional CPU functions to programmable digital logic.
The devices address a broad range of applications including interface bridging, I/O expansion, power-up sequencing and peripheral control. These applications are common in end markets such as communications equipment, servers and motor control. The new family is now sampling along with the original three PSoC 3 families: the CY8C38xxx Precision Analog family, the CY8C36xxx Performance Analog family and the CY8C34xxx Analog Lite family.
The new CY8C32xxx family is powered by up to 24 UDBs (Universal Digital Blocks) each consisting of a combination of uncommitted logic (PLD), structured logic (8bit datapath), and flexible routing to other UDBs, I/O or peripherals. The UDBs can be programmed with a large library of pre-characterised digital peripherals, and can also be customised using Verilog code to implement uncommon functions and interfaces that traditionally require a low-power CPLD.
The programming and customisation is simplified through the PSoC Creator integrated development environment. PSoC Creator provides fully tested, pre-packaged analog and digital peripherals easily customisable through user-intuitive wizards and APIs to meet specific design requirements.
The new family includes basic analogue peripherals such as a 12bit delta-sigma ADC, internal voltage reference, two comparators and an 8bit DAC to enable easy interfacing to analogue signals. The new family extends the PSoC 3 Architecture, powered by the high- performance 8bit 8051 processor, to a total of four families, which each address different market segments. The four families are the CY8C38xxx Precision Analog PSoC 3 family with a 20bit delta-sigma ADC, four DACs, four programmable analogue blocks and a digital filter block, the CY8C36xxx Performance Analog PSoC 3 family with a 12bit delta-sigma ADC, four DACs, four programmable analogue blocks and a digital filter block, the CY8C34xxx Analog Lite PSoC 3 family with a 12bit delta-sigma ADC, two DACs and two programmable analogue blocks, and The CY8C32xxx Programmable Digital PSoC 3 family with up to 24 UDBs, a 12bit delta-sigma ADC, and two comparators.
