Microchip Marches Into 16-Bit Territory

The PIC family of microcontrollers now includes the 16-bit PIC24 family of 22 general-purpose MCUs providing performance levels up to 40 MIPS, 16 KB of RAM, and 256 KB of flash program memory. Available in packages with up to 100 pins, the 16-bit devices maintain compatibility with the MPLAB integrated development environment and all dsPIC digital-signal controllers. The PIC24 family consists of two series: the PIC24F offers a step up in performance, memory, and peripherals and the PIC24H with 40 MIPS performance provides more memory, and additional peripherals, such as CAN communication modules. The PIC24F devices deliver 16 MIPS, two UART and two SPI interfaces, and an I2C interface. At 40 MIPS, the PIC24H MCUs offer from 64 KB to 256 KB of flash memory, 8 KB to 16 KB of RAM, up to two CAN ports, and a real-time clock. Pricing for the PIC24F is $4.55 each/10,000 and for the PIC24H is $5.16. MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC., Chandler, AZ. (888) 628-6247.