Wireless connection has become a necessary function of many products, but it often increases the cost and complexity of system design, because it must be used as an additional function for larger applications. Microchip Technology Inc introduced the first PIC microcontroller (MCU) series products based on Arm Cortex-M4F to solve this wireless connection design challenge. The new series of products directly integrate Bluetooth low-power function into one of the most basic components of the system, and are supported by the most comprehensive development ecosystem in the industry.
Steve Caldwell, Vice President of Microchip Wireless Solutions, said: "Our PIC32CX-BZ2 single-chip microcomputer series eliminates the barriers that make it difficult for wireless applications to enter the market, including usability and complexity challenges, regulatory certification barriers and long-term support issues. The new product series closely combines wireless connectivity with single-chip microcomputer, rooted in our decades of professional experience and supported by vertical manufacturing methods, including IC, highly integrated software protocol stack of Microchip, internal module manufacturing and Customer driven product shutdown mechanism. "
Microchip's PIC32CX-BZ2 series products include system on chip (SoC) devices and RF support modules certified by global regulations. In addition to Bluetooth low-power function, the new series also includes Zigbee ® Protocol stack and over the air (OTA) update function. The hardware functions include a 12 bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC), multiple timer/counter (TCC) channels for control, an onboard encryption engine, and a wide range of interfaces for touch, CAN, sensors, displays, and other peripherals. The 1MB flash memory of this series supports large application code, multi protocol wireless protocol stack and OTA update. The AEC-Q100 Class 1 (125 ℃) compliant packaging further simplifies wireless connectivity integration that requires a highly robust solution.
PIC32CX-BZ2 single-chip microcomputer series can simplify development through Microchip's MPLAB Harmony 32-bit embedded software development framework. The integrated MPLAB code configurator enables developers to quickly start the prototype design of PIC32CX-BZ2 series by using drag and drop automatic code generation technology. A large number of application code instances are hosted on GitHub and linked through MPLAB code configurator and MPLAB Discover. With the help of the ecosystem's chip down reference design package and wireless design check service, RF design with PIC32CX-BZ2 SoC can be simplified. The WBZ451 module of Microchip has passed the pre certification of several global standards, and is equipped with an optimized on-board RF design, which makes it easy for customers who have little or no RF expertise to get started.
