NXP demonstrates world's first functional Cortex-M0 silicon

Smallest most energy efficient microcontroller for battery powered applications, e-metering and consumer peripherals

March 23, 2009 -- NXP, the independent semiconductor company founded by Philips, today announced the world’s first functional ARM® Cortex™-M0 silicon. The Cortex-M0 processor represents a breakthrough in terms of size, low power and energy efficiency while its simplicity makes it one of the easiest architectures to use on the market today. As the first Cortex-M0 processor licensee, NXP will present fully functional Cortex-M0 silicon demonstrations at the Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley, March 30 - April 2, booth 1010. The NXP demonstration will showcase the Cortex-M0 processor’s industry leading energy efficiency and dramatic code density improvement.

“The Cortex-M0 processor takes the complexity out of using 32-bit processors. Customers can take full advantage of their existing ARM tool chains and preserve their software investment.” said Geoff Lees, vice president and general manager, Microcontroller Division, NXP Semiconductors. “In close cooperation with ARM, NXP will offer free Cortex-M0 architecture and software training and demonstrations at the Embedded Systems Silicon Valley show, the first of several shows where the silicon will be presented.”

Currently working with lead customers, NXP plans to introduce the Cortex-M0 processor based LPC1100 series to the broad market at the beginning of 2010. The LPC1100 will target battery applications, e-metering, consumer peripherals, remote sensors, and virtually all 16-bit applications.

"The ARM Cortex-M0 processor provides further evidence of ARM’s low-power technology leadership across the entire spectrum of digital applications, from ultra low power MCUs to high performance multicore processors,” said Mike Inglis, EVP and general manager, Processors Division, ARM. “The introduction of the first Cortex-M0 processor silicon just weeks after its public release is a fantastic achievement by NXP.”

NXP’s industry leading ARM microcontroller portfolio is based around the already well established cores from the ARM7TDMI®, the ARM968™, the ARM926™, to the Cortex-M3 processors. This award winning product portfolio includes the widest range of USB peripherals in the industry, the only Cortex-M3 microcontroller operating at 100 MHz, and the first device to offer high bandwidth performance with Ethernet, USB, and CAN.

Information on other events where the Cortex-M0 processor will be demonstrated can be found on the NXP and ARM websites.

About NXP Semiconductors

NXP is a leading semiconductor company founded by Philips more than 50 years ago. Headquartered in Europe, the company has about 30,000 employees working in more than 30 countries and posted sales of USD 5.4 billion (including the Mobile & Personal business) in 2008. NXP creates semiconductors, system solutions and software that deliver better sensory experiences in TVs, set-top boxes, identification applications, mobile phones, cars and a wide range of other electronic devices. News from NXP is located at www.nxp.com.