Microchip Technology

Microchip Technology


This year, Microchip expanded its eXtreme Low Power portfolio of 8- and 16-bit PIC microcontrollers with several new families, including microcontrollers featuring 50 µA/MHz active current consumption, sleep currents down to 20 nA, and integrated peripherals like USB and LCD. Microchip introduced three new families of 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers with Ethernet, CAN, USB and 128-kbytes of RAM. Microchip added eight DSCs for digital power conversion with more memory and PWM channels, and CAN support. Microchip introduced a portfolio of microcontrollers and DSCs with high-temperature operation up to 150° C ambient.

Adding to its human-interface portfolio, Microchip introduced microcontrollers with three graphics acceleration units, a display controller and 96-kbytes RAM. The mTouch sensing portfolio was expanded with a royalty-free solution for projected-capacitive touch sensing and several 8, 16, and 32-bit microcontrollers integrating touch sensing with display and connectivity features, with many capable of capacitive sensing in less than 1 µA.

To further enable connectivity with its microcontrollers, Microchip added agency-certified Wi-Fi modules and low-power, sub-GHz radios and modules to its growing wireless portfolio. Microchip also acquired SST's FlashFlex 8051 microcontrollers.

Microchip's PIC microcontrollers and dsPIC DSCs span more than 700 8-, 16-, and 32-bit devices. Tools include the unified and free MPLAB IDE (integrated development environment), a broad selection of powerful but inexpensive starter kits and development platforms, and an extensive library of free software including USB, TCP/IP, Graphics, Motor Control and Intelligent Power Supply. The portfolio spans low-cost, six-pin, 8-bit microcontrollers through the high-performance, cost-effective, 64- and 100/121-pin, 80-MHz, 32-bit PIC32 family.