Microchip intros smallest, lowest-cost PIC32 MCUs

CHANDLER, USA: Microchip Technology Inc. announced a new series of low pin count 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers (MCUs) that provide 61 DMIPS of performance in packages as small as 5 mm x 5 mm for space-constrained and cost-sensitive designs.

The PIC32 “MX1” and “MX2” MCUs are the smallest and lowest-cost PIC32 microcontrollers, and are the first PIC32s to feature dedicated audio and capacitive-sensing peripherals. These new MCUs include a host of additional useful features that make them suitable for applications in the consumer, industrial, medical and automotive markets.

Rated for operation up to 105°C, the PIC32 MX1 and MX2 MCUs include up to 32 KB of Flash, and 8 KB of SRAM; two I2S interfaces for audio processing; Microchip’s Charge Time Measurement Unit (CTMU) peripheral for adding mTouch capacitive touch buttons or advanced sensors; and an 8-bit Parallel Master Port (PMP) interface for graphics or external memory. The new devices also feature an on-chip 10-bit, 1 Msps, 13-channel Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), as well as USB 2.0, and serial-communications peripherals. The MCUs bring eight new packages to the PIC32 MCU product line, from 28- to 44-pins, with sizes down to 5 mm x 5 mm and a 0.5 mm pitch.

Further easing the design effort is Microchip’s Peripheral Pin Select feature, which allows developers to “remap” most digital-function pins in the chip, making layout and design modifications significantly simpler. The PIC32 MX1 and MX2 devices are compatible with Microchip’s 16-bit PIC24F product line for easy migration, and are supported by the MPLAB® X IDE—the single development environment for all of Microchip’s 8-, 16- and 32-bit MCUs.

“More designs in the consumer, industrial, medical and other markets are requiring high-quality audio, touch-sensing and graphics capabilities, as well as USB communication,” said Sumit Mitra, VP of Microchip’s High-Performance Microcontroller Division. “With their numerous on-chip peripherals and features in small packages, the PIC32 MX1 and MX2 enable designers to add all of this functionality, while keeping design size and costs low.”