PIC microcontroller integrates 16-bit analog, data acquisition, USB, LCD

Microchip PIC microcontroller system on a chip integrates 16-bit ADC, 10 Msps ADC, DAC, USB, and LCD: Microchip PIC24FJ128GC010 family provides intelligent analog and very low power for portable medical and industrial applications. See system on a chip photos and diagrams.

September 16, 2013

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP), a provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions, announced a new family of microcontrollers (MCUs), PIC24FJ128GC010, on Sept. 16. The family is an analog system on a chip that integrates a full analog signal chain, including Microchip’s first ever on-chip precision 16-bit ADC and 10 Msps 12-bit ADC, plus a DAC and dual operational amplifiers (op amps), along with eXtreme Low Power (XLP) technology for extended battery life in portable medical and industrial applications, the company said.

This combination of analog integration and low power consumption reduces system cost and noise, and improves the signal throughput in applications, such as portable medical monitoring devices, (blood-glucose meters and blood-pressure monitor), as well as industrial applications such as portable monitoring devices (voltage and current monitors, gas sensors, and high-speed sensor arrays), among others, according to the company.

The PIC24FJ128GC010 family includes an integrated LCD display driver that provides the ability to drive up to 472 segments with information-rich user displays that include scrolling alphanumeric banners. Integrated USB supports the uploading of clinical data for medical equipment, and can act as a service/data port for industrial equipment. Capacitive touch sensing is supported with an on-chip Microchip mTouch peripheral. The integration of a 16-bit ADC, USB, and LCD into one low-power MCU allows for very small form factor, battery-powered applications. The PIC24FJ128GC010 family represents a significant cost reduction over a multi-chip implementation, enabling lower noise, faster throughput, smaller printed circuit board (PCB) size (see before and after board layout diagram), and faster time to market.

“Designing precision analog circuits is a challenge. Microchip has made analog design easier with the launch of this latest intelligent-analog microcontroller family,” said Joe Thomsen, director of Microchip’s MCU16 Division. “We started with the customer’s end product in mind debugging the noise and communication so designers get consistent analog performance across applications. We also created a comprehensive starter kit on which our customers can build their software, hardware and sensors—drastically improving their development time by eliminating the need to design a board.”

Development support

The PIC24FJ128GC010 family is supported by the Microchip MPLAB Starter Kit for PIC24F Intelligent.Integrated.Analog (part #DM240015). The kit is focused on the family’s integrated analog to preserve signal integrity. It provides 95% of what designers need to develop a handheld analog prototype. All they need to do is add sensors, the company said.

The new PIC24FJ128GC010 MCU family is available for sampling and volume production. The PIC24FJ128GC010 (128 KB Flash) and PIC24FJ64GC010 (64 KB Flash) are available in 100-pin TQFP and 121-pin BGA packages. The PIC24FJ128GC006 (128 KB Flash) and PIC24FJ64GC006 (64 KB Flash) are available in 64-pin TQFP and QFN packages. Products are available through microchipDirect or through a Microchip authorized distribution partner.

Microchip Technology Inc. provides microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions, for low-risk product development, lower total system cost, and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. It is headquartered in Chandler, Ariz.

– Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager CFE Media, Control Engineering, mhoske@cfemedia.com.

Online extras

www.microchip.com/get/6T4J includes more information, including links to a video and presentation.

www.microchip.com/get/SMPG

See more pictures below.