Microcontrollers target fan and motor control.
Press Release Summary:
Consisting of 14-pin PIC16F616/610 and 8-pin PIC12F615/609, Flash PIC® microcontrollers feature full-bridge PWM with capture and compare functionality, dead-band control, and emergency shutdown. Devices include comparator for hall-effect sensor interfaces and A/D converter for monitoring functions. Other features include up to 3.5 Kb flash program memory and 128 bytes RAM, as well as internal shunt regulator that allows high-voltage Vdd support from 2 V to user-defined max (HV variants only).
Original Press Release:
Microchip Technology Announces PIC® Microcontrollers
CHANDLER, Ariz., Nov. 14, 2006 [NASDAQ: MCHP] - Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, today announced the first general-purpose, Flash PIC® microcontrollers with several peripherals for more cost-effective control of fans or small motors. The 14-pin PIC16F616/610 and the 8-pin PIC12F615/609 microcontrollers can substantially reduce system component counts and costs through the integration of specialized peripherals, such as a full-bridge Pulse-Width Modulator (PWM) with deadband control, a Timer1 Gate for pulse width measurement, a comparator for hall-effect sensor interfaces, and an A/D converter for temperature and various monitoring functions. In the case of the PIC16HV616/610 and PIC12HV615/609 variants, the addition of an internal shunt regulator allows the PIC microcontroller to run from higher voltage rails without the addition of voltage regulators.
Engineers designing small-motor control systems are always looking for ways to eliminate components and reduce board size and cost, while achieving higher levels of functionality and flexibility. For example, in cooling fans, the PIC16F616/610 and PIC12F615/609 Flash microcontrollers provide greater functionality than discrete fan-control components, such as linear speed control, improved dynamic response and the ability to customize the design with firmware changes rather than expensive hardware redesigns. At the same time, board space and cost is reduced with features such as comparator hysterisis, to allow direct interfacing to a hall-effect element without additional signal-conditioning circuitry.
Many high-voltage-rail applications, such as motor control and power supplies, require components to step down the input voltage for various control devices. However, these new PIC microcontrollers-available with an integrated shunt regulator option (designated with "HV" in the part number), allow engineers to design systems without having to add a regulator, reducing costs and board space even further. Additionally, motor and power applications often require intermediate voltages for power drivers and other power components. The PIC16F616/HV616 family addresses these requirements with a built-in S/R latch to design a switch-mode power supply for these intermediate voltages.
"Engineers who used to rely solely on analog and discrete semiconductors for their designs have discovered the flexibility and lower system cost benefits of using a PIC microcontroller," said Steve Drehobl, vice president of Microchip's Security, Microcontroller and Technology Development Division. "Microchip continues to lead the way in providing these engineers with new PIC microcontrollers that enable them to design compact, programmable and cost-effective applications."
Specific application examples include: home appliances (such as blenders, toasters, smoke alarms and thermostat controls), cooling-fan control and other motor control, power tools, system control and monitoring, battery chargers, automated door sensors, speedometers, and power supplies.
Key features for the PIC16F616/610 and PIC12F615/609 microcontrollers, and their HV variants, include:
o Enhanced Full-Bridge PWM peripheral with capture and compare functionality, dead-band control and emergency shutdown
o Internal Shunt Regulator that allows High-Voltage Vdd support from 2V to a user-defined max (HV variants, only)
o Up to two Comparators with selectable Hysterisis, internal voltage-reference options, and S/R latch mode for switch mode power conversion
o Up to eight 10-bit Analog-to-Digital Conversion channels
o High Stability, Precision 4/8 MHz Internal Oscillator
o Up to 3.5 Kbytes (2K Words) of Flash Program Memory; 128 bytes RAM
o Brownout Reset (BOR) and Watchdog Timer (WDT) for reliable low-power operation
Development Tools
These new microcontrollers are supported by the full suite of Microchip's development tools, including the free MPLAB® IDE (Integrated Development Environment), the low-cost MPLAB ICD 2 (In-Circuit Debugger) and the MPLAB PM3 Universal Device Programmer.
The PICkit(TM) 2 Starter Kit (DV164120) enables engineers, students and anyone with an interest to easily begin development and experimentation with the PIC16F616/HV616 family for a very low initial investment of $49.99. The kit connects to any personal computer via full-speed USB 2.0, which allows faster programming and firmware upgradeability, and requires no additional power supply for the programmer or target application board.
Pricing and Availability
The PIC16F610/HV610 and PIC12F609/HV609 microcontrollers are expected to be available in December for general sampling and volume-production orders. Their superset counterparts, the PIC16F616/HV616 and PIC12F615/HV615 microcontrollers are available now for general sampling at sample.microchip.com, and are expected to be available for volume-production ordering in December at www.microchipdirect.com. In 10,000-unit quantities, the PIC16F616/610 start at $0.73 each and the PIC16HV616/610 start at $0.77 each in Pb-free, RoHS-compliant 14-pin PDIP, SOIC, TSSOP and QFN packages. The PIC12F615/609 start at $0.60 each and the PIC12HV615/609 start at $0.64 in 8-pin PDIP, SOIC, DFN and MSOP packages, also in 10,000-unit quantities.
For additional information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip's Web site at www.microchip.com/startnow.
Microchip Customer Support
Microchip is committed to supporting its customers by helping design engineers develop products faster and more efficiently. Customers can access four main service areas at www.microchip.com. The Support area provides a fast way to get questions answered; the Sample area offers free evaluation samples of any Microchip device; microchipDIRECT provides 24-hour pricing, ordering, inventory and credit for convenient purchasing of all Microchip devices and development tools; finally, the Training area educates customers through webinars, sign-ups for local seminar and workshop courses, and information about the annual MASTERs events held throughout the world.
About Microchip Technology
Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at www.microchip.com.
Note: The Microchip name and logo, PIC, and MPLAB are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. in the USA and other countries. PICkit is a trademark of Microchip Technology Inc. in the USA and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.
