Microchip Introduces PIC18 Demo Board

From Microcontroller.com

Development Tools News

Microchip Introduces PIC18 Demo Board

By Christina Hecht, Microchip
May 19, 2003 - 10:39:00 AM

CHANDLER, Ariz., May 19, 2003 [NASDAQ: MCHP] — Microchip Technology Inc., a leader in providing microcontroller and analog semiconductors, today announced the low-cost PIC18FXX20 64/80L TQFP Demonstration Board, the Company’s first demonstration board designed for its high pin-count PIC18F Flash microcontrollers. Fully functional right out of the box, the tool demonstrates the digital and analog peripherals of the PIC18FXX20 microcontrollers and allows for rapid and easy prototyping without the need to design a printed circuit board to support the included PIC18F8720 Flash microcontroller.

Available today for $49 (US) through distribution, the PIC18FXX20 demonstration board offers digital features that include an RS232 Serial Port, ICD connection, 8 x LED for diagnostic tests, crystal clock circuit (RC option), and reset and user buttons. Analog features include potentiometer input to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) input channel and a sample of Microchip’s TC74 temperature sensor. Outfitted with a PIC18F8720 Flash microcontroller, the demonstration board also complements Microchip’s MPLAB® In-Circuit Debugger (ICD) 2 tool.

Microchip’s MPLAB ICD 2 development tool is a powerful, low-cost run-time tool that offers cost-effective in-circuit Flash programming and debugging from the graphical user interface of the MPLAB Integrated Development Environment (IDE) tool. This enables a designer to develop and debug source code by watching variables, single-stepping and setting break points. Running at full speed enables testing hardware in real-time.

The PIC18FXX20 64/80L TQFP Demonstration Board (DM183020) is available now for $49. The MPLAB ICD 2 (DV164007) is available as a stand-alone unit for $188. Microchip’s MPLAB IDE software can be downloaded for free from Microchip web site.

About Microchip
Microchip Technology Inc. manufactures the popular PICmicro® field-programmable RISC microcontrollers, which serve 8- and 16-bit embedded control applications, and a broad spectrum of high performance linear and mixed-signal, power management and thermal management devices. The Company also offers complementary microperipheral products including interface devices; microID® RFID devices; serial EEPROMs; and the patented KEELOQ® security devices. This synergistic product portfolio targets thousands of applications and a growing demand for high-performance designs in the automotive, communications, computing, consumer and industrial control markets. The Company's quality systems are ISO 9001 (1994 version) and QS9000 (1998 version) certified. Microchip is headquartered in Chandler, Arizona with design facilities in Mountain View, California, Bangalore, India; and a European Design Center in Lausanne, Switzerland; semiconductor fabrication facilities in Tempe and Chandler, Arizona; Gresham, Oregon; and Puyallup, Washington; and assembly and test operations near Bangkok, Thailand. Microchip employs approximately 3,350 people worldwide and has sales offices throughout Asia, Europe, Japan and the Americas