The latest PIC32 series improves performance while reducing power consumption

     Microchip Technology announced that the latest PIC32 MCU family extends Microchip's eXtreme Low Power (XLP) technology to 32-bit products. Today's PIC32MX customers can easily achieve higher performance with lower power consumption with PIC32MX1/2 XLP, enhancing both functionality and battery life in portable applications. Existing customers using the PIC32MX1/2 XLP family can further improve the performance of small pin count devices with minimal reprogramming effort.

     Designed for wearable technology, wireless sensor networks, and other smart connected devices, Microchip's XLP technology provides low-current mode support for operation and sleep, where 90 to 99 percent of the time is spent in extremely low-power applications. XLP technology enables sleep and deep sleep off of PIC32MX1/2 XLP devices with deep sleep currents as low as 673 nA. The device delivers more than 40% better performance than the existing PCI32MX1/2 series, while reducing the average operating current by 50%.

     The PIC32MX1/2 XLP series offers a range of memory configurations, including 128/256 KB flash memory and 32/64 KB RAM, in packages ranging from 28 pins to 44 pins. It also supports a variety of low-cost peripherals, including I2S for digital audio with performance up to 116 DMIPS to support audio and advanced control applications, as well as 10-bit 1 Msps 13-channel ADCs and serial communication peripherals. The PIC32MX2 family also supports USB device, host, and OTG capabilities.

     In addition to hardware peripherals, Microchip's MPLAB® Harmony software development framework powers this family of products, simplifying the development cycle by integrating licenses, proxies, and support for Microchip and third-party middleware, drivers, libraries, and RTOS. Specifically, using Microchip's ready-available software packages, including Bluetooth® audio development Kit, audio equalizer filter library, decoders (including AAC, MP3, SBC), sample rate conversion library, and USB protocol stack, etc. Can significantly reduce the development time of digital audio, consumer, industrial and general purpose embedded control applications.

     Rod Drake, Microchip's vice president of MCU32, said: "The PIC32MX family of products is a perfect fit for XLP technology. The series has been very successful in the wearable market, with a lot of software and support. Customers will easily reap the benefits of this latest extension."