NEC Electronics announced that it starts sample shipments of 18 new models of its 8–bit microcontroller with built–in Flash memory. These products are ideally suited to ancillary functions as sub–microcontrollers, such as controlling small battery–powered systems, managing power to reduce the standby power of home appliances and the like, and controlling key input.

A total of 18 models have been released: 6 are 78K0/KB2–L models, with 30 external–connection pins, and 12 are 78K0/KC2–L models, with 44 or 48 such pins. The new products include the following features: (1) they reduce standby operating power by 80% compared to the company's existing 78K0/KB2 and 78K0/KC2 products; (2) they help enhance analog functions and reduce the number of components via two built–in operational amps; and (3) they help reduce system voltage and power consumption by reducing the voltage of the A/D converter compared to conventional products.

(1) Lowest standby power consumption in the industry
The new products have achieved the lowest level of power consumption in the industry, helping to increase battery lifetime and lower standby power consumption. They leverage the low–power technologies developed for the company's 16–bit low–power microcontrollers to reduce internal operating voltage, reduce the low–speed onboard oscillator frequency during standby from 240 to 30 kilohertz (kHz), and optimize the circuits to reduce power consumption. Through these improvements, they have reduced standby operating current by 80%, from 3.5 to 0.7 microamperes (µA). The new products also reduce the standby operating current when only the clock function is operational by 70% compared to conventional products, from 3.8 µA to 1.0 µA. They additionally reduce the operating current when operating at 1 megahertz by 40%, from 440 µA to 260 µA. 

(2) Built–in operational amps
The products offer a new feature: they have two built–in operational amps connected to A/D converters. This enables the new products to convert analog signals (voltage values) into digital signals after extracting minute voltage amplitudes and specific signals. This makes it possible to reduce the number of external components compared to conventional products, making the system smaller and reducing development costs. 

(3) Reduced A/D converter voltage
The A/D converter extends the operating voltage from 2.3 volts (V) in conventional products to 1.8 V, enabling support of systems that require low operating voltage.

(4) Pin layouts and software compatible with existing NEC Electronics products
The new products' architecture enables operational amps, real–time counters, and other new features to be built in, while maintaining compatibility with the pin layout and peripheral features of the company's existing 78K0/KB2 and 78K0/KC2 models. This will enable users of earlier products to develop systems with low operating voltage and power consumption using previously designed hardware and software assets.