Microchip introduces a series of low-pin 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers

     Microchip Technology announced at Embedded World Congress in Germany that it has introduced a new family of low-pin 32-bit PIC32 microcontroller (MCU) that delivers 61 DMIPS performance in packages as small as 5mm x 5mm, suitable for space-constrained and cost-sensitive designs. The PIC32 "MX1" and "MX2" MCUS are the smallest and lowest-cost PIC32 microcontrollers and the first PIC32 MCUS to feature dedicated audio and capacitive sensing peripherals. The latest devices are also equipped with USB On-the-Go (OTG) capabilities, making them ideal for developing audio accessories and other applications for the consumer, industrial, medical and automotive markets.

     The PIC32 MX1 and MX2 MCUS are rated for operating temperatures up to 105 ° C, equipped with up to 128 KB of flash memory and 32 KB of RAM, two I2S audio processing interfaces, and an integrated hardware peripheral that adds mTouch™ capacitive touch buttons or advanced sensors. And an 8-bit parallel main port (PMP) for graphic display or connection to external memory. In addition, the new device has a 13-channel, 1-msps on-chip 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and serial communication peripherals.

     The PIC32 MX2 MCU also adds USB OTG capability. These MCUS are available in 28 to 44 pin packages with sizes as small as 5mm x 5mm and pin spacing of 0.5mm. Microchip's peripheral pin selection capability further simplifies the design effort, allowing developers to "remap" most of the digital function pins in the chip, making it easier to modify the layout and design. 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, a unified development environment for all Microchip's 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit MCUS.

     Sumit Mitra, Microchip's vice president of High Performance Microcontroller Products, said: "The expansion of our PIC32 MX1 and MX2 families gives our customers more options to seamlessly migrate their rapidly changing designs. With 128K flash memory, 32K RAM, the highest DMIPS performance per MHz of any 32-bit MCU, and a small package as low as 28 pins, the PIC32 MX1 and MX2 MCUS enable designers to differentiate their products in the market while keeping their designs small and cost effective."