LPC UARTs Reduce Footprint In Industrial PCs

Exar’s new UARTs for the Intel LPC motherboard bus, the XR28V382 and XR28V384, reduce footprint while increasing data integrity and throughput by providing industry-leading 128 byte FIFOs. Inherently compatible with multiple operating systems, the devices are targeted towards industrial PCs, factory automation, process controllers, network routers, and single board embedded computers. The XR28V382 is packaged in a 5 x 5 mm 32 pin QFN and includes two UART channels, while the XR28V384 has four UART channels in a 7 x 7 mm 48 pin TQFP. When the primary need is serial connectivity, the dual and quad LPC UARTs offer up to 8X reduction in board space as replacements for super I/O devices. As an alternative to USB UARTs, the new devices interface directly with the system BIOS so there is no need to install a driver. Both UARTs include automatic half duplex control for RS-485 networks, feature 128 byte transmit and receive FIFOs, are rated for the industrial temp range, and operate at 3.3 V with each UART channel supporting serial data rates up to 3 Mbps. Suggested retail price for the XR28V382 LPC UART is $2.40 each/1,000 and $3.50 each/1,000 for the XR28V384.

EXAR CORPORATION