Toshiba Starts Shipping Engineering Samples of TXZ+™ Family Entry‑Class M4V Group, Standard Microcontrollers with Arm® Cortex®‑M4 Core for System Control Applications

Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has begun shipping engineering samples of its TXZ+™ Family Entry-Class M4V Group, a series of standard microcontrollers featuring an Arm® Cortex®-M4 core with a floating-point unit (FPU). These microcontrollers are designed to enhance security and data management in system control applications, particularly for Internet of Things (IoT) devices and industrial equipment. The announcement was made from Kawasaki, Japan, and marks the availability of engineering samples for developers and engineers seeking to evaluate the new technology. The release of the M4V Group comes amid increasing reliance on network connectivity and over-the-air (OTA) updates in both consumer and industrial settings. Such features have improved convenience through remote monitoring, control, maintenance, and device updates. However, they also highlight the critical need for robust security measures to prevent unauthorized access and program tampering. Additionally, there is rising demand for protecting software assets, managing configuration and log data, and ensuring stable system operation throughout the product lifecycle, spanning development through to end-of-life. To address these challenges, Toshiba developed the M4V Group, which integrates enhanced security and data management capabilities while maintaining the usability and adaptability of existing standard microcontrollers. The new microcontrollers feature a multilayered security architecture that combines access control, memory protection, and execution control functions. This approach aims to strengthen overall system security against potential threats. Each microcontroller in the M4V Group operates on an Arm® Cortex®-M4 core with an FPU and runs at frequencies up to 80MHz. This combination provides the necessary computational performance and real-time responsiveness for system control tasks. The chips are suitable for a broad array of control applications within consumer and industrial equipment. On-chip memory includes 128KB of code flash memory, 64KB of data flash memory, and 32KB of RAM. The data flash memory allows for the retention of rewritable data such as configuration and log information, supporting customized data management based on operational conditions. The microcontrollers also support a supply voltage range of 2.7V to 5.5V and include a high-speed oscillator with ±1% accuracy, reducing the need for external components and improving design flexibility. They are compatible with systems powered by 5V supplies. The microcontrollers come equipped with essential peripheral functions for system control, including a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC), timers, a UART, SPI, I²C, and DMA. An advanced programmable motor control circuit 2 (A-PMD2) enables brushless DC motor control, offering flexibility for varied application needs. The inclusion of a serial memory interface (SMIF) facilitates connections to external serial flash memory, allowing direct access by mapping external memory into the address space. This setup enables fast memory access with minimal CPU load, aiding in the storage of large volumes of data, logs, and firmware, thus enhancing data management efficiency in IoT and OTA-enabled systems. Toshiba is supporting the evaluation and development process by providing a comprehensive development environment alongside the engineering samples. This includes starter kits, sample software, CMSIS-compliant drivers, and compatibility with major IDEs, facilitating a seamless transition from initial testing to actual application development. Looking ahead, Toshiba plans to continue expanding its enablement resources and related documentation to assist customers in achieving safe and flexible system designs. The company intends to further enrich its lineup of microcontroller products to better serve diverse market demands.