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Epson Develops New 16-Bit Microcontroller “S1C17F63”
with e-Paper Driver
- Ideal for smart cards and other applications using small e-paper screens -
Seiko Epso n Corporation ( " Epson") has develop ed S1C17 F63,
a 16-bits micr ocontroller u nit ( M CU) with a built-i n driver that is
idea l for driving small e-paper displ ays such as smar t car ds .
It features a low power cons umption and s ma ll c hi p size by utilizing
Epson’s efficient , compact, and pr eci s i on technologies.
The market for e-paper displays i s expanding. Thes e displays are flexible, o ffer paper-like l egibility, and consu me
very little power, since no power is needed to keep data on the screen. They are being used in place of liquid
crystal displays for everything from e-books and signage to electronic shelf labels and particularly smart cards.
In smart cards, one-time password cards and dynamic CVV/CVC
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cards with security codes that change at
regular i nterv als are see n as a means to prov ide s tronger pr otecti on a gainst phish ing at tac ks, w hich ar e caus i ng
mounting l osses as online banking and payments become increasingly com m on.
However, there are problems that need to be addressed with current embedded-display cards, which are
susceptible to electronic component damage if bent or subjected to other physical stresses and which have
limited batter y capacity due t o the limitations of the card configurat i on.
To solve these problems, Epson developed a single-chip microcontroller with built-in driver circuitry engineered
specifically for e-paper dis plays. This d ocument intro duc es t he features o f S1 C17F63 as follows.
One Time Password
Update by Key input or
regular interval time
(display update)
Dynamic Security Code
Update by regular interval time
(display update)
QFP15-100
Examples of smart card with display
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Low current consumption rea l time clock circuit to extend battery life time
Since the ti m e is always counti ng in the display car ds, the power consumption at t ime count is import ant .
Epson develops low powe r har dware real ti me clock circuit, and makes this circuit independ ent of MCU bloc k.
At time counting without C PU o peration (stan d-by mode), it achieves 120nA low cur r ent consumption.
This circuits supports programmable periodic timer interrupt in addition to day/hour/minute/second. It reduces
CPU load, a nd system can k eep st and-by mode as long as possi ble.
Because the e-paper display can keep display without power consumption until it is updated, it is also suitable
for display car ds which requires long battery life.
According t o the featur es bot h S1C17 F63 and e-paper display, it is poss ible for display card t o extend batt ery life
time from 3-years to 4- or 5-years.
S1C17F63 block diagram
Comparison with existing product
Real time clock circuit
RTC mode