Embedded System Product News

New Microchip dsPIC33 Digital Signal Controller Family

CHANDLER, Ariz., Oct. 10, 2005 [NASDAQ: MCHP] — Microchip Technology Inc.has introduced the new Microchip dsPIC33 digital signal controllers (DSCs) product line, targeting conventional microcontroller programmers thinking about getting involved in digital signal processing (DSP) programming without the DSP programming complexity.

The Microchip dsPIC33 runs at 40 MIPS, with up to 256 Kbytes of self-programming Flash, up to 30 Kbytes of RAM and 64- to 100-pin packages. Important features include an 8-channel non-intrusive DMA and the option of 1.1 Msps high performance A/D converters. Programming is supported by the Microchip PIC programmer development tools.

The new dsPIC33 family has the same instruction set as the dsPIC30 family and uses the same universal MPLAB® development tools common to all of Microchip’ s controller families.

Most engineers are unfamiliar with programming DSPs, and the lack of determinism of conventional DSPs makes them difficult to program in typical interrupt-driven embedded control applications. The dsPIC33 addresses these concerns by providing a deterministic architecture and conventional development tools with Microchip’s MPLAB Integrated Development Environment (IDE), and C compiler.

"The Microchip dsPIC33 architecture provides a cost-effective solution for applications requiring large memory, I/O or substantial performance at 3.3 volts," said Sumit Mitra, vice president of Microchip’s Digital Signal Controller Division. "The addition of 27 new dsPIC33 Flash-based DSCs to the 21 existing dsPIC30 DSCs signals our commitment to the market."

"With their dsPIC® DSCs and PIC24 MCUs, Microchip is the only company on the planet with truly unified DSP and MCU product lines," said Will Strauss, president of Forward Concepts. "The dsPIC33 family gives MCU people an easy migration path to DSP performance."

Microchip dsPIC33 features include:

• 40 MIPS deterministic core
  - 16x16 register file
  - Barrel shifter
  - 1 cycle 16x16 multiply
  - Multiply Accumulate (MAC)
  - Address Generation Unit
• 3.3V operation
• 64 to 256 Kbytes Flash
• 8 to 30 Kbytes RAM
• Non-intrusive DMA
• 1.1 Msps 1-bit A/D converters with four simultaneous sample and hold
  8 sample and hold on some
• Up to two each: SPI™, I2C™, UART and CAN
• 64- to 100-Pin TQFP packages
• Codec interface on some
• Quadrature Encoder Interface on some

Applications for the new dsPIC33 family include two-way radios, hands-free kits, answering machines, optical networking, security systems, fire alarms, speech and audio playback applications, power-line modems, and portable medical equipment.

Applications for the Microchip dsPIC33 motor control family include: sewing machines, LED lighting arrays, washing machines, access control, online UPS, environmental control, electronically assisted power steering, precision manufacturing equipment, absolute encoders and resolvers, inverters and electric vehicles.

"Migrating between the dsPIC30 and dsPIC33 families is quite straightforward, since they both have the same instruction set and compatible pin-outs," added Mitra. "The dsPIC33 family is especially attractive, both from a price and feature standpoint, for applications requiring larger Flash and RAM, where extra I/O is important, or where 3.3V is the preferred chip voltage."

Microchip PIC Programmer Support and Availability
Microchip's MPLAB IDE includes features friendly to Microchip PIC programmers that make it easy to develop code for the dsPIC33. These features include a Visual Device Initializer, a GUI interface for generating device driver code, and a Motor Control GUI, which can be used to quickly tune dsPIC® DSC motor control libraries to a specific motor type.

Code libraries are available for many common voice codec and digital filter applications.

Selected members of the dsPIC33 family are available today for early-adopter sampling. General sampling is expected to start in calendar Q1 2006, and production availability is expected to be staged beginning in calendar Q2 2006. For additional information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip’s Web site at

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, please contact Microchip.