Design News Product Spotlight

In the Product Showcase section, we've just posted some products that we think you will be interested in.

First are Microchip's latest eight-bit PIC MCUs, which are part of the Full-Speed USB 2.0 Device PIC microcontroller portfolio. These MCUs feature internal clock sources for USB communications that eliminate the need for an eternal crystal.

Second is Microsemi's SmartFusion2 system-on-chip FPGA family for advanced security. SmartFusion2 offers secure key storage using a physically-unclonable-function key enrollment and regeneration capability.

Finally, Cypress' PRoC-UI is a single-chip solution that integrates a wireless radio with touch-sensing circuitry. The PRoC-UI combines 2.4GHz proprietary WirelessUSB-NL Radio with the CapSense and TrueTouch capacitive touch technologies to enable user interface functionality in wireless devices, including gestures supported by the Windows 8 applications.

Microchip MCUs reduce cost by eliminating external crystal
Microchip Technology expanded its Full-Speed USB 2.0 Device PIC microcontroller (MCU) portfolio with three enhanced midrange eight-bit families comprising 15 scalable parts ranging from 14 to 100 pins with up to 128kbytes of Flash. All feature internal clock sources with the 0.25 percent clock accuracy necessary for USB communication, which eliminates the need for an external crystal. In addition, all three families are eXtreme Low Power compliant, with power consumption down to 35muA/MHz active and 20nA in sleep mode. More information is available from this video.

The 14- and 20-pin PIC16F145X MCUs are available in packages as small as 4mm x 4mm. The PIC18F2X/4XK50 devices, available in 28- and 40/44-pins, offer a cost-effective, pin-compatible migration option for customers utilizing legacy PIC18 USB MCUs. The three family members feature 1.8V to 5V operation and integrate a Charge Time Measurement Unit for higher-performance cap-touch sensing, as well as measurement in applications such as audio docks and data loggers.

The full-featured PIC18F97J94 family offers integrated LCD control, RTCC with Vbat, and USB. Available in 64, 80, and 100 pins, the nine-member family integrates a 60- by 8-segment LCD controller. It also contains a real-time clock/calendar with battery backup.

To help speed development times, the downloadable and open-source USB Framework within the free Microchip Library of Applications (MLA) includes USB drivers for many common USB classes, including HID, CDC, Mass Storage, Win-USB, and Audio-MIDI. These drivers can be used with all 15 of the new PIC MCUs. Hardware development tools are also available for purchase. Pricing for the MCUs starts at $0.50 each in high volumes.