How to Pick the Right Microcontroller Based on Low-Power Specifications
●Introduction
■Choosing the right ultra-low-power microcontroller (MCU) for your next embedded design can be a confusing task when you compare claimed current consumption specifications in a myriad of data sheets provided by MCU vendors.In many cases, developers initially scan the first page of a data sheet as a reference point to gain basic information about an MCU, including peripherals, operating speed, package information, number of GPIOs and power characteristics. This approach works well to assess an MCU’s overall functionality, but it is not particularly useful when trying to gauge low-power characteristics.
■To get a broader view of an MCU’s true low-power operation, developers must take into consideration current consumption, state retention, wake-up time, wake-up sources and peripherals that are capable of operating while in low-power mode.Developers must compare a common operating mode to gain a balanced, apples-to-apples comparison among competing low-power MCUs. It is also important to take into consideration any additional functionality or peripherals that can reduce total system power and available evaluation tools that can make an engineer’s job easier.
■Microcontroller vendors will usually list the lowest power achievable on the first page of the data sheet. Although the device may be capable of achieving the specification in the data sheet, the actual operating mode may not be practical and useful in a real world application. Some of the non-advertised features of the lowest power mode may include a very slow wake time, no state or RAM retention, or a reduced operating voltage range.
■To get around the variety of low-power specifications, developers must identify a common operating mode consisting of two sections: electrical specifications and low-power functionality.
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Technical Documentation |
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Please see the document for details |
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English Chinese Chinese and English Japanese |
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2017/07/27 |
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Rev 1.0 |
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480 KB |
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