8, 16 and 32-bit USB Microcontrollers from Microchip

4th June 2008

ES Admin

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Microchip has announced a portfolio of 8, 16 and 32-bit USB microcontrollers supported by a single development environment - the free MPLAB IDE. Building on its 8-bit PIC18 USB Microcontrollers, Microchip now offers the low-power 16-bit PIC24F USB family, which is pin, peripheral and software compatible with the high-performance, 80 MHz, 32-bit PIC32 USB Microcontrollers. Microchip has also expanded its 8-bit USB offering with the lower-cost, smaller-footprint PIC18F1XK50 family. All these devices are supported by free USB stacks and class drivers.

Embedded designers are continuing to adopt USB as the interface of choice in consumer and industrial applications. Replacing legacy interfaces - in particular RS232 - with USB allows engineers to add new functionality while keeping design and manufacturing costs low. Simpler embedded systems may only require peripheral functionality, while others may require USB host, or combined capability. Microchip’s broad USB MCU portfolio allows designers to select the most appropriate device for their USB application.

The PIC18F13K50 and PIC18F14K50 are the lowest-cost USB Microcontrollers from Microchip. They provide many features not normally found on lower-end 8-bit Microcontrollers, and include I2CTM, SPI and USART interfaces, alongside USB 2.0 - enabling data transfer between USB and other embedded serial networks.

The PIC24F USB family is the lowest power (2.6 µA standby current) large-memory (up to 256 KB Flash and 16 KB RAM) 16-bit USB microcontroller family in the world. The PIC24F USB family is the only 16-bit microcontroller with USB 2.0 embedded-host, dual-role and OTG functionality and make it cost-effective and easy to add advanced USB features to embedded designs.

The PIC32 microcontrollers with USB 2.0 OTG functionality bring additional performance and memory - operating at up to 80 MHz, with up to 512 KB of Flash and 32 KB of RAM - while maintaining pin, peripheral and software compatibility with Microchip’s 16-bit microcontroller families.

All of the new 8, 16 and 32-bit USB PIC MCU families are supported by Microchip’s world-class development tools. These include the MPLAB IDE, MPLAB REAL ICE™ emulation system, MPLAB ICD 2 in-circuit debugger and MPLAB PM3 programmer. MPLAB C Compilers are available for all three families.

Microchip also offers an online USB Design Centre, where engineers can find everything they need to get started with USB - including training, documentation and circuit diagrams, programming support, development tool and silicon information. Designers can also download the source code for Microchip’s free USB Host Stack, Device Stack, and Class Drivers (HID, MSD, CDC, Custom). The free USB OTG Stack is currently in beta test, with full release scheduled shortly.

The PIC18F1XK50 Microcontrollers are available in 20-pin SSOP, SOIC, PDIP and 5 x 5 mm QFN packages. General sampling and volume production is expected in June 2008. The 12-member PIC24FJ256GB1 family is offered in 64, 80, or 100-pin TQFP packages, and all are available now for general sampling and volume production. The newest USB OTG PIC32 device, the PIC32MX420F032H-40I/PT, runs at 40 MHz and features 32 Kbytes of Flash memory, comes in a 64-pin TQFP package and establishes a low-cost entry for the PIC32 family with USB.