Chandler, Ariz., USA: A series of low-pin-count, 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers (MCUs) developed by Microchip Technology offer 61 DMIPS of performance in a tiny footprint. The PIC32 MX1 and MX2 MCUs, housed in 5mm-by-5mm packages, are claimed as the first PIC32s to feature dedicated audio and capacitive-sensing peripherals.
Rated for operation up to 105°C, the PIC32 MX1 and MX2 include up to 32kB of flash and 8kB of SRAM, and two I2S interfaces for audio processing. They integrate the company’s Charge Time Measurement Unit (CTMU) peripheral for adding mTouch capacitive touch buttons or advanced sensors, and an 8bit Parallel Master Port (PMP) interface for graphics or external memory. Also contained in the devices are an on-chip 10bit, 1Msps, 13-channel ADC, as well as USB 2.0 and serial-communications peripherals.
The MCUs introduce eight new packages, from 28 to 44 pins, with sizes down to 5mm by 5mm and a 0.5mm pitch. Microchip’s Peripheral Pin Select feature allows developers to “remap” most of the chip’s digital-function pins to simplify layout and design modifications.
The PIC32 MX1 and MX2 devices are compatible with Microchip’s 16-bit PIC24F product line. They’re supported by the MPLABX IDE development environment, which also supports all of Microchip’s 8-, 16- and 32-bit MCUs.