DRPIC166X MCU, low-cost mixed with high performance

The DRPIC166X is a low-cost high performance 8-bit, fully static soft IP Core, intended to operate with fast (typically on-chip), dual ported memory. To fulfill modern electronics requirements, our Core has been designed with a special concern about lowest possible power consumption. It consumes just 37 uW/MHz in 0.18u technology. But power consumption means nothing without reasonable performance. DRPIC166X is the pipelined Harvard RISC architecture, being 4 times faster, compared to original implementation. – PIC family is popular among many engineers due to low cost, wide availability, large user base and extensive collection of application notes – says Jacek Hanke, DCD’s CEO – that’s why we have not only reduced the power consumption, but also increased the performance, DRPIC166X offers 1.3 GHz virtual clock frequency in a 0.18u technological process (800 MHz virtual clock frequency in a 0.35u technology).

The DRPIC166X soft core is software-compatible with the industry standard PIC 16XXX microcontrollers. DCD’s IP Core implements an enhanced Harvard architecture (separate instruction and data memories) with independent address and data buses.

The same, it’s 4 times faster compared to the standard architecture. The 14 bit program memory and 8-bit dual port data memory allow instruction fetch and data operations, to occur simultaneously. The advantage is that the instruction fetch and memory transfers can be overlapped, by multi stage pipeline, so that the next instruction can be fetched from program memory, while the current instruction is executed with data from the data memory – explains Hanke. Most instructions are executed within 1 system clock period, except the instructions which directly operate on PC (GOTO, CALL, RETURN) program counter. The pipeline is being cleared and subsequently refilled at additional one clock cycle.

The DRPIC166X Microcontroller fits perfectly in applications ranging from high-speed automotive and appliance motor control, to low-power, remote transmitters/receivers, pointing devices, telecom processors or consumer electronics. Built-in power save mode, makes this IP core perfect for applications, where the power consumption aspect is critical.

The DRPIC166X is delivered with fully automated testbench, complete set of tests and DoCDTM on-chip hardware debugger, allowing easy package validation, at each stage of SoC design flow.