Renesas Technology Corp. has announced that it has achieved an important milestone in the microcontroller (MCU) business, as it becomes the world’s first company to ship 700 million MCUs with on-chip flash memory.
The benefits to having on-chip flash memory in a MCU are many. Reprogramming an MCU is simplified, allowing developers to make last-minute changes to the specification or update the MCU’s control program after assembly. This substantially helps shorten product development cycles and adds flexibility to designing systems using Renesas’ MCUs. Demand for flash-based MCUs continues to grow due to increased demand from manufacturers of DVD players, LCD TVs, automotive engine control equipment, car audio systems and industrial machinery.
By reaching a new shipment milestone of 700 million units, Renesas has reaffirmed its position as the world’s leading provider of flash-based MCUs. Since parent companies Hitachi, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation began full-scale production in 1996, Renesas Technology has built up the industry’s most extensive line-ups of flash MCUs, based on its embedded flash memory technology and MCU technology, winning the position as the world’s leading MCU supplier. By 2004, shipments had increased to 150 million units and continue to grow every year by 30%, as a core business of Renesas. By 2008, production of flash-based MCUs is expected to reach 300 million units annually.
Renesas will continue to provide flash-based MCU solutions in order to meet the growing demand for ubiquitous networking and other product areas.
Renesas Technology Corp.:
http://www.renesas.com
