Two 1993 additions to the M68HC05 Family of microcontrollers (MCUs) are the MC68HC705V8 and the MC68HC05V7. These two MCUs, manufactured with a state-of-the-art mixture of ultra-high voltage CMOS (UHVCMOS) and bipolar analog processing, each include an integrated 12-volt (nominal) to 5-volt voltage regulation system. This voltage regulation circuit, which is enabled via mask option, can provide the 5 volts necessary for powering the MCU in an application.
This on-chip voltage regulator is specified for normal operation over an input voltage range of 8 V to 16 V, optimizing it for use in the automotive environment. In automotive applications, either of these two devices can be connected directly to the vehicle's battery via the VBATT pin, thus eliminating the external voltage regulator normally required to provide the 5-V supply for the MCU. In addition to supplying the 5 volts for internal use, this integrated regulator also can supply additional current off chip, powering other application
components.