New Microchip PIC18 Flash Microcontroller Family with 48K & 64Kbytes of Flash

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CHANDLER, Ariz., Aug. 4, 2003 [NASDAQ:  MCHP] — Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, today announced it has expanded its popular PIC18F family of PICmicro® Flash microcontrollers to include low-cost 48 Kbyte and 64 Kbyte Flash memory devices that offer designers added I/Os, timers, a feature-rich peripheral set and the flexibility of field self-programmability.

Available in 64- and 80-pin TQFP packages, PIC18F8525/6525 and PIC18F8621/6621 16-bit microcontrollers are code-compatible with the Company's current 18-, 28- and 40-pin portfolio, allowing designers to migrate to higher performance devices, and to re-use software and hardware in existing platforms, thus lowering overall development costs and allowing for quicker time-to-market.  These are the newest members of Microchip's 8-bit PICmicro microcontroller family, which recently secured the number one position in worldwide 8-bit microcontroller unit shipments, according to Gartner Dataquest

The microcontrollers feature Microchip's advanced PMOS Electrically Erasable Cell (PEEC) process technology, which provides best-in-class erase/write endurance, retention, and disturb reliability for both program and on-chip data EEPROM memory.

Features
The on-chip Flash has the following features:

• Entire memory array Erased/Program in less than 2 seconds.
• Word erase/program time in less than 3 milliseconds.
• Up to 1,000,000 data memory ERASE/WRITE cycles
• Up to 100,000 program memory ERASE/WRITE cycles
• 40 years of data retention.

These new devices feature:

• Either 48 or 64 Kbytes of Flash memory
• 4 Kbytes of RAM memory
• 1024 bytes of high-endurance EEPROM data memory
• 16-channel 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC)
• 2 Capture/Compare/PWM modules
• 3 Enhanced Capture/Compare/PWM modules
• Up to 10 MIPS performance at 10 MHz
• two 8-bit timers
• three 16-bit timers
• One watch-dog timer (WDT)
• Dual analog comparators
• Parallel slave port (PSP)
• Operating voltage range of 2.0-5.5 volts
• Programmable brown-out detection/reset (PBOR)
• Programmable 16-level Low Voltage Detection module (PLVD)
• 32 kHz secondary oscillator clock input
• 4x phase lock loop (PLL) for high-frequency oscillators
• SPI™
• I2C™
• and two LIN compatible addressable USART modules supporting RS485 and RS232.

The cost-effective devices are an ideal solution for a wide range of high-end applications requiring additional memory, in such markets as industrial (TCP/IP controllers, motor control, ballast control), computing (cable modems, POS terminals, voice/fax boards), telecommunications (GPS units), and consumer (MP3 players, security systems, thermostats).

Development Tools
Microchip's PIC18FXX20 TQFP 64- and 80-pin demonstration board shows the functionality of the digital and analog peripherals of the high pin-count PIC18F microcontrollers and complements the MPLAB® In-Circuit Debugger (ICD) 2 tool. The 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.

Availability
Samples and volume production are available now. For additional information, contact any Microchip.

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.