The exceptionally small silicon area, low power and minimal code footprint of the processor enables developers to achieve 32-bit performance at an 8-bit price point, bypassing the step to 16-bit devices.
The ultra-low gate count of the Cortex-M0 processor also enables its deployment in analog and mixed signal devices. Arm DesignStart™ provides free and instant access to the industry-leading Cortex-M0 and Cortex-M3 processors and related system IP. Anyone can evaluate Arm IP with DesignStart Eval with a simple click-through access; or, companies can get a commercial license for a $0 upfront fee, just a success-based royalty model, by registering for DesignStart Pro. It’s the fastest, simplest, no-risk route to custom silicon success.
Small, Low Power, Energy Efficient 32-bit Microcontroller Processor
Overview
Key Features
- Exceptional code density - on average, the mix between 16-bit and 32-bit instructions yields a better code density when compared to 8-bit and 16-bit architectures. This has significant advantages in terms of reduced memory requirements and maximizing the usage of precious on-chip Flash memory.
- Binary upward compatible with all other Cortex-M processors - the Cortex-M0 has mainly 16-bit Thumb-2 instructions and few 32-bit ones. These instructions are also present on all the other Cortex-M processors. Hence all code written for the Cortex-M0 will run as is on the other processors.
- Built-in low-power features - sleep, deep sleep and state retention are three low power modes available to the user
- Optional Debug Access Port and Serial Wire Debug - for devices where every pin counts the serial wire debug port uses only two pins
Benefits
- Smallest footprint Arm processor with a total floorplan area of 0.007 mm2 in a 40nm technology process.
- Simple and quick development. With just 56 instructions, it is possible to quickly master the entire Cortex-M0 instruction set and its C-friendly architecture.
- Get instant, free access to Cortex-M0 IP through Arm DesignStart; then, commercialize your product for no upfront IP fee, simply a success-based royalty model.
Block Diagram
Applications
- Analogue mixed signal devices including MEMS sensors
- Finite State Machines
- Power Management
- Motor Control
- Wearable Health Monitors
- Environmental Monitoring
Technical Specifications
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