Microchip Technology Extends PIC® Microcontroller Line to 32 Bits with New PIC32 Family

Microchip Technology Extends PIC® Microcontroller Line to 32 Bits with New PIC32 Family

Microchip Technology Inc., has announced the PIC32 family of 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs). The PIC32 family adds more performance and more memory while maintaining pin, peripheral and software compatibility with Microchip’s 16-bit MCU/DSC families. To further ease migration and protect tool investments, the PIC32 family is fully supported by Microchip’s free MPLAB^® Integrated Development Environment (IDE). The MPLAB IDE offers unprecedented compatibility by supporting Microchip’s complete portfolio of 8-, 16- and 32-bit devices.

Only MCU Vendor to Offer an 8-, 16-, & 32-bit Product Line Supported by a Singular Development Environment

 Consumers’ desire for ever-more engaging end products is driving system requirements for increased memory capacity, performance and functionality. Launching with seven general-purpose members, the PIC32 family operates at up to 72 MHz and offers ample code- and data-space capabilities with up to 512 KB Flash and 32 KB RAM. The PIC32 family also includes a rich set of integrated peripherals, significantly reducing total design complexity and cost. Examples include a variety of communication peripherals, a 16-bit Parallel Master Port supporting additional memory and displays, as well as a single-supply on-chip voltage regulator.

 The PIC32 family is based on the industry-standard MIPS32^® architecture, with its leading combination of high performance, low power consumption, fast interrupt response and extensive industry tool support. The high-performance MIPS32 M4K^® core can achieve best-in-class 1.5 DMIPS/MHz operation, due to its efficient instruction-set architecture, 5-stage pipeline, hardware multiply/accumulate unit and up to 8 sets of 32 core registers. To reduce system cost, the PIC32 supports MIPS16e™ 16 bit ISA—enabling code-size reductions of up to 40%.