Microchip expands Wi-Fi products for industrial

As the demand for wireless connectivity in industrial and commercial applications continues to grow, Microchip Technology Inc. has added 20 products to its Wi-Fi portfolio that address the key requirements of these applications. This includes the need for highly reliable connectivity in harsh environments with high temperatures, background noise and obstructions. Microchip’s Wi-Fi products include microcontrollers (MCUs), network and link controllers and plug-and-play modules.

(Source: Microchip Technology Inc.)

These devices support a variety of application needs and developer skill levels. They range from modules that are regulatory certified in several countries that require no radio frequency (RF) expertise and little programming to systems-on-chip (SoCs) with industrial-level features.

The Wi-Fi portfolio includes:

• Wi-Fi MCUs: These are all-in-one solutions that combine the functionality of an MCU with wireless connectivity.
• Link controllers: These devices provide an SDIO interface that enable the addition of Wi-Fi to Linux MPUs
• Network controllers: These controllers provide an SPI interface, allowing the addition of wireless connectivity to an MCU.
• Plug-and-play modules: The ready-to-use modules simplify wireless-to-cloud connectivity by sending text commands from an MCU over a UART interface.

The latest PIC32MZ-W1 32-bit Wi-Fi MCUs feature advanced analog peripherals, including CAN, Ethernet, capacitive touch and ADC.  These devices also offer some of the highest GPIO capabilities on the market, according to the company.

Other recent additions include updates to the next-generation WINC and WILC solutions, including WINCS02 network controllers and WILCS02 link controllers with improved radio performance and enhanced security features as well as an expansion of its plug-and-play product line with new RNWF02 modules that connect MCUs to a cloud platform using simple ASCII commands sent over a UART interface.

Microchip integrates its Trust Platform into many of its Wi-Fi products. Trust&GO module variants, like the PIC32MZ-W1, are pre-provisioned for secure authentication with popular cloud services, including AWS and Azure, to streamline the process of network authentication. The company also offers a suite of development tools, application demos, evaluation boards and services to support its Wi-Fi portfolio.