26-10-2022 | Microchip Technology | Industrial
Microchip Technology Inc introduces its first Arm Cortex-M4F-based PIC MCU family solving this wireless connectivity design challenge by integrating BLE functionality straight into one of a system's most basic components, supported by one of the industry's most complete developer ecosystems.
"Our PIC32CX-BZ2 MCU family removes barriers that have made it difficult to bring wireless applications to market, from availability problems and complexity challenges to regulatory certification hurdles and long-term support concerns," said Steve Caldwell, vice president of Microchip's wireless solutions business unit. "Our family tightly integrates wireless connectivity with an MCU that is built on our decades of specialised experience and backed by a vertical manufacturing approach that encompasses ICs, Microchip's highly integrated software stacks, in-house module manufacturing and a customer-driven obsolescence practice."
This family includes SoC devices and global regulatory-certified, RF-ready modules. As well as Bluetooth Low Energy functionality, the family consists of Zigbee stacks and OTA update capabilities. Hardware features include a 12-bit ADC, multiple TCC channels, an onboard encryption engine, and a wide set of interfaces to touch, CAN, sensor, display and other peripherals. The family's 1MB of Flash memory supports large application codes, multiprotocol wireless stacks, and OTA updates. AEC-Q100 Grade 1 (125C) qualified packages also simplify wireless connectivity integration where highly robust solutions are needed.
The MCU family eases development through the company's MPLAB Harmony 32-bit embedded software development framework. MPLAB Code Configurator integration allows developers to swiftly begin prototyping with the family utilising drag-and-drop auto code generation. Many application code examples are hosted on GitHub and linked through MPLAB Code Configurator and MPLAB Discover. RF design with SoCs is streamlined with the ecosystem's chip-down reference design packages and wireless design check services. Customers with little to no RF expertise can benefit from the company's WBZ451 modules, which are pre-certified to many regulations worldwide and offer an optimised onboard RF design.
As well as the MPLAB Code Configurator, the MPLAB Harmony v3 framework includes many other tools and an ecosystem of debuggers, programmers, virtual sniffer, and compilers. The family is supported by the PIC32CX-BZ2 and WBZ451 Curiosity Development Board.
