Thanks to the memory security features available with dsPIC digital signal controllers (DSCs) and PIC24H microcontrollers (MCUs), collaborative sharing of memory, interrupts, and peripherals is possible on a single chip without compromising individual intellectual property (IP) (see the figure). According to developer Microchip, this memory segmentation eliminates the need to store programs on separate chips in a multi-party design.

In embedded applications, OEMs, design houses, and software vendors face critical IP protection issues regarding customisation.