Low
power MCU family offers power-saving peripherals, hardware safety and secure
code protection
System developers of battery-powered and other
power-conscious designs with and without LCD displays can now easily add an
array of innovative features using a new line of PIC® eXtreme
Low Power (XLP) microcontrollers (MCUs) from Microchip Technology Inc. (Nasdaq:
MCHP). Packed with 14 types of Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) that
operate outside the Central Processing Unit (CPU) for power savings, the PIC24F GU and GL families of
MCUs feature the CIP called LCD with Autonomous Animation.
Most display applications involve a few common
animations like periodically alternating between displays and blinking of
pixels to indicate operation. By using the integrated LCD driver with
autonomous animation, developers can offload most of these simple animation
routines from the CPU, allowing animation even in doze, idle or sleep modes for
optimal power savings. To assist in quickly designing such display interfaces,
the new MCUs come with MPLAB® Code Configurator (MCC) support.
This graphical programming environment with LCD display designer helps
eliminate the meticulous and time-consuming task of mapping the pins and
segments.
“The latest family of PIC MCUs adds new hardware
features that improve low power performance, code protection and reliable
operation in applications across multiple segments,” said Joe Thomsen, vice
president of Microchip’s MCU16 business unit. “This scalable family of devices
enable applications from cloud-connected low-power IoT nodes and sensor systems
to automotive, consumer and industrial automation applications and helps
developers easily add displays, robustness and security to their
designs.”
The new MCU families are also designed to make it
easy to increase the security of an application, whether it is connected to the
Internet or a standalone system. Microchip’s CodeGuard™ security Flash
protection enables segmenting memory into boot and general segments to
implement memory access restrictions. The Flash memory is configurable as One
Time Programmable (OTP) via Microchip’s In-Circuit Serial Programming™ (ICSP)
write inhibit feature that disables any further modification of the Flash
through external programmers/debuggers. Together with these features, security
can be further enhanced using Microchip’s CryptoAuthentication™ devices as a
companion chip to add secure over-the-air updates and pre-provisioned cloud
services. Lastly, the MCUs are supported by CryptoAuthLib, 16-bit bootloader,
USB and many application libraries in MCC to significantly reduce development
time and complexities.
The integrated hardware safety features of the
PIC24F GU and GL families enable reliable operation in harsh environments
through Flash Error Correction Code (ECC), Deadman Timer (DMT), Windowed
Watchdog Timer (WWDT), Fail-Safe Clock Monitor (FSCM), Configurable High-Low
Voltage Detect (HLVD) and Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC).
Capable of operating in harsh environments, the MCU
families are ideal for automotive, industrial and consumer applications. They
feature an extended operating temperature of up to 125 °C, are automotive AEC
Q100 Grade 1 qualified and have a diagnostic library for IEC 60730 (household
appliances) Class B safety standards.
Development Support
The PIC24F GU and GL MCUs are supported by
Microchip’s MPLAB® development ecosystem including Microchip’s
free MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and MPLAB Code
Configurator. Other supporting boards include the PIC24F LCD and USB Curiosity
Development Board, PIC24F LCD Curiosity Development Board, and the
PIC24FJ512GU410 and PIC24FJ128GL306 General Purpose Plug-In Modules (PIMs) for
the Explorer 16/32 Development Board.
Pricing and Availability
The PIC24F GL3 family with integrated LCD is
available in 28-, 36-, 48- and 64-pin packages as small as 4x4 mm (uQFN).
Memory ranges from 64 KB to 128 KB Flash and 8 KB RAM. The PIC24F GU4 / GL4
family with integrated LCD and USB is available in 48-, 64-, 80- and 100-pin
packages with memory ranges from 128 KB to 512 KB Flash and 32 KB RAM. Prices
start at $0.97 in high volume for the PIC24FJ64GL302-I/SS.
Development
boards are available now:
·
PIC24F LCD and
USB Curiosity Development Board (DM240018 - $48.00)
·
PIC24F LCD
Curiosity Development Board (DM240017 - $45.00)
·
Explorer 16/32
Development Board (DM240001-2 - $79.99)
·
PIC24FJ512GU410
General Purpose Plug-In Module (MA240041 - $25.00)
·
PIC24FJ128GL306
General Purpose Plug-In Module (MA240040 - $25.00)
For additional information, contact a Microchip
sales representative, authorized worldwide distributor or visit Microchip’s
website. To purchase products mentioned here visit our purchasing portal or contact a Microchip
authorized distributor.
October 9, 2020,