RS Components has announced its new Technology Solution ‘Embedded Controls’, reinforcing the company’s strategy to become positioned as the top choice for Electronics components.

‘Embedded Controls’ describes the use of a microprocessor or microcontroller (MCU) to do a specific task, which differs from a PC that can perform more than one task and is not programmed to do just one thing. Embedded Computers are often built into the devices they control, for example, cameras, MP3 players, automotive ECUs and industrial robots. Even trivial tasks can benefit from having some form of close control and monitoring, particularly as operability, connectivity and energy-efficiency are increasingly important and desirable.

RS has launched 683 new products from twelve manufacturers of Embedded Control devices and peripherals, including Microchip, Texas Instruments, Cypress, Freescale, Infineon, STMicroelectronics, Ramtron, FTDI, ISSI, Spansion and WIZnet. Highlights include:

STMicroelectronics:The STM32 Coretex 32-bit ARM microcontrollers and dev tools and new STR9 ARM9 microcontrollers and development tools Freescale: 8, 16 and 32-bit microcontrollers plus development tools with devices designed for wireless connectivity applications and for some specifically aimed at the automotive sector

Microchip:New dsPIC and PIC24 microcontrollers

Cypress:PSoC (programmable system-on-chip) silicon and development tools.

Ramtron:FRAM (ferroelectric random access memory) devices

FTDI:USB connectivity embedded devices and tools

WIZnet:Ethernet and Ethernet-to-Serial modules and devices

ISSI:SRAM/SDRAM and E2PROM

Spansion: Flash memory

Building on the launch in 2007 of Embedded Computing in the form of single board computers, RS has expanded the concept to include many lower level components, to allow design engineers to realise their own applications using an MCU at the heart of their new designs. One of the benefits of contemporary MCUs is the high level of integration that they offer. MCUs now incorporate many internal devices (that were once external and thus needed additional parts) to form a working system. The term used for this is System-on-Chip or SoC. These have 8, 16 or 32-bit microcontrollers at their heart.

The new offering from RS comprises new and leading-edge MCUs and development tools, going further than ever to satisfy the design engineer’s constant search for new and exciting technologies. Gary Jackson, Senior Account Manager, Europe Region at STMicroelectronics, comments: "The STM32 is one of the most exciting developments in the microcontroller industry for years. With class-leading price/performance/power consumption ratios, state-of-the-art peripherals, and the new ARM Cortex-M3 core, the STM32 is changing the face of the microcontroller industry. We are delighted that the STM32 family has been added to the RS Components portfolio."

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