Microchip Introduces New Low Power 8- & 14-Pin Flash MCUs

By Eric Lawson, Microchip
Dec 1, 2003 - 12:16:00 AM

Microchip Technology Introduces Three Low Pincount 8- & 14-pin PIC® MCUs
That Offer Engineers Superior System-Level Performance

CHANDLER, Ariz., Dec. 1, 2003 [NASDAQ: MCHP] - Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, today announced three new PIC® Flash 8-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), which provide unprecedented system-level performance and cost-effectiveness in 8- and 14-pin packages. The PIC16F684, PIC16F688 and PIC12F683 MCUs offer designers up to 7,168 bytes of Flash program memory and several peripheral options with integrated nanoWatt technology. These new devices are well suited for a range of applications including home appliances, battery-operated or handheld products, sensors, interface, automotive and general-purpose control functions.

With the PIC16F684, PIC16F688 and PIC12F683 MCUs, Microchip's customers have an easy, pin-compatible migration path from the "classic" 8- and 14-pin devices to these new "enhanced" low pincount products. In addition, these devices offer the familiar x14 architecture, along with standardized features that include a wide operating voltage of 2.0 - 5.5 volts and on-board EEPROM Data Memory.

Powerful Peripherals
Standard analog peripherals on the three new PIC devices include up to 8 channels of 10-bit A/D for easy measurement of analog signals, and up to 2 comparators as general-purpose building blocks for analog input/output control. The PIC12F683 comes with Microchip's standard Capture/Compare/PWM module, and the PIC16F688 features a EUSART peripheral that will support standard RS232/485-type communications as well as the LIN protocol, which is popular in automotive body electronics and dashboard controls.

The PIC16F684 features an Enhanced Capture Compare module with deadband control, up to 4 outputs and emergency shutdown, all of which improves control capabilities in applications such as electronic motor control and power supplies.

Low Power and Flash
Microchip's existing 8- and 14-pin Flash devices already offer nanoWatt technology features such as nanoAmp standby current consumption, a fast-startup internal oscillator operating at 8MHz (+/- 1%), and BOR reset for reliable operation. The new "enhanced" low pincount PIC MCUs offer additional power-management features such as software-selectable clock speed, software-controlled BOR, ultra-low-power wakeup on change, a lower-power Real Time Clock timer and an extended Watchdog Timer. These features provide customers with unmatched flexibility in managing power consumption and performance, without sacrificing system reliability in battery-operated and other low-power applications.

These new PIC devices also provide designers with the most advanced and reliable Flash memory technology available - Microchip's PMOS Electrically Erasable Cell (PEEC) Flash technology. PEEC Flash increases reliability through in-field reprogrammability that can withstand one million erase/write cycles on each memory location at a wide range of operating temperatures.

Availability and Development Tool Support
The three new PIC microcontrollers come in small-footprint 8-pin SOIC and 14-pin TSSOP packages. The PIC16F684 is currently available for sampling and volume production. This release is expected to be followed by sampling of the PIC16F688 in December, and sampling for the PIC12F683 is planned for early 2004.

All three devices are supported by the full suite of Microchip's development tools, including the PICkit™ 1 Flash Starter Kit, MPLAB® IDE (Integrated Development Environment), and the low-cost MPLAB ICD 2 (In-Circuit Debugger). For pricing or more information contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor.

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.