Texas Instruments Reveals World's Smallest Microcontroller
Nuremberg, Friday, 14 March 2025.
Texas Instruments unveiled the world’s smallest microcontroller, the MSPM0C1104, measuring 1.38 mm², offering unprecedented potential for compact electronic devices across diverse applications.
Groundbreaking Miniaturization
The MSPM0C1104 MCU, unveiled at Embedded World 2025 in Nuremberg, represents a significant advancement in microcontroller technology. Measuring just 1.6 mm x 0.861 mm, the device occupies a mere 1.38 mm² of space, making it 38% smaller than its closest competitor [1][2]. This breakthrough device features a powerful 32-bit Arm Cortex-M0+ core operating at 24 MHz, complemented by up to 16 KB of Flash memory and 1 KB of SRAM [3].
Technical Capabilities
Despite its diminutive size, the MSPM0C1104 delivers impressive functionality with three 12-bit ADC channels supported by dedicated DMA, along with UART, I2C, and SPI communication interfaces [4]. The microcontroller operates across a voltage range of 1.62V to 3.6V and maintains functionality in temperatures from -40°C to +125°C [4]. Power efficiency is a key feature, with the device consuming just 87 µA/MHz in run mode and an ultra-low 200 nA in shutdown mode [3].
Applications and Implementation
According to Vinay Agarwal, vice president and general manager of MSP Microcontrollers at TI, ‘In tiny systems such as earbuds and medical probes, board space is a scarce and valuable resource’ [2]. The device includes advanced features such as a windowed watchdog timer and a beeper capable of generating square wave tones at frequencies of 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 4 kHz, or 8 kHz [3]. To ensure quality and reliable supply, Texas Instruments manufactures and packages these microcontrollers entirely in-house [4].
Development Support
For developers looking to integrate this revolutionary MCU into their designs, Texas Instruments provides comprehensive support through the MSPM0C1104 LaunchPad development kit [3]. The company offers extensive documentation and development tools through their MSP software development kit and code studio, enabling efficient implementation across various applications [3].