Extended low power PIC32MM microcontroller family feature USB support and core independent peripherals

Microchip has announced new PIC32MM “GPM” MCUs. These eXtreme Low Power (XLP) MCUs feature large memory in small packages to provide ample battery life for space-constrained applications. With the inclusion of several connectivity options, Core Independent Peripherals and feature-rich development boards, the “GPM” MCUs are well suited for digital audio applications, gaming/entertainment devices, IoT sensor nodes and portable medical devices. The family of MCUs enables developers to minimise power consumption, board space and development time. The devices provide power-saving options, such as sleep modes with current consumption as low as 650nA with RAM retention, to greatly extend battery life in portable applications. These PIC MCUs are available with up to 256KB of ECC Flash and 32KB of RAM, providing ample space for application code and communication stacks. The new devices are available in a variety of pin-count options ranging from 28 to 64 pins in compact packages, as small as 4mm x 4mm with 28 pins; 5mm x 5mm with 36 pins; and 6mm x6mm with 48 pins to optimise the overall design footprint. The family integrates CIPs, such as DMA, CLC and a 12-bit ADC. These allow the system to accomplish tasks in hardware while freeing-up the CPU to do other tasks or to go to sleep. Leveraging these hardware-based CIPs improves execution efficiency while maintaining system flexibility and lowering overall power consumption. These MCUs also include a crystal-less USB device/host/OTG and I2S functionality, crucial for USB audio applications and communication gateways. This family’s accurate on-chip USB oscillator eliminates the need for an external crystal or oscillator reducing overall system BOM cost and board real-estate associated with USB applications.