Microchip Technology, a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions, announced a new series within its PIC32MX1/2 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) family that features a large 256 KB Flash configuration and 16 KB of RAM in small-footprint packages. These latest additions to this popular MCU family provide flexibility to low-cost applications that need complex algorithms and application code, and they are coupled with Microchip’s comprehensive software and tools for designs in graphics, touch sensing and general-purpose embedded control.
The new PIC32MX1/2 MCU series boasts a wide variety of rich features, including up to 50 MHz/83 DMIPS performance for executing advanced control applications and mTouch® capacitive touch sensing. Additional features include an enhanced 8-bit Parallel Master Port (PMP) for graphics or external memory, a 10-bit, 1 Msps, 13-channel Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), support for SPI and I2S serial communications interfaces and USB device/host/On-the-Go (OTG) functionality.
“This new 32-bit MCU series is ideal for the designers of embedded-control and touch applications who are looking for low-cost and smaller package options,” said Rod Drake, vice president of Microchip’s MCU32 Division. “With their cost-optimized Flash configuration, performance up to 83 DMIPS, package sizes down to 6x6 mm and 0.5mm pitch and feature-packed peripherals, these MCUs offer increased flexibility to a broad range of applications while keeping design size and cost low.”
Microchip’s MPLAB® Harmony software development framework further simplifies designs, by integrating the license, resale and support of Microchip and third-party middleware, drivers, libraries and Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS). Specifically, Microchip’s readily available software packages—including USB stacks and Graphics and Touch libraries—can greatly reduce the development time of applications such as consumer, industrial and general-purpose embedded control.
Designers seeking to launch consumer products with capacitive touch screens, touch buttons or sliders, as well as USB device/host/OTG connectivity, can benefit from the functionality of the PIC32MX1/2 series of MCUs. The feature-rich peripherals of these MCUs are also ideal for medical and industrial applications, which also include displays with touch-sensing capabilities, along with general-purpose embedded control and connectivity capabilities.
Development Support
This latest PIC32MX1/MX2 series is supported by Microchip’s free MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and MPLAB XC32 Compiler for PIC32. The MPLAB ICD 3 In-Circuit Debugger (part # DV164035, $199.95) and MPLAB REAL ICE™ In-Circuit Emulation System (part # DV244005, $499.98) are also available. Additionally, the following development board plug-in module supports this series: PIC32MX270F256D Plug-in-Module for Explorer 16 Development Board (part # MA320014, $35).
Pricing & Availability
These latest PIC32MX1/2 MCUs are available now in 28-pin QFN, SPDIP and SSOP packages and 44-pin QFN, TQFP and VTLA packages. Pricing starts at $1.91 each, in 10,000-unit quantities.
