Winter 2012

TRAININGWIRELESS MEDICAL TOOLSAUTOMOTIVE

May/June 2013

The Microchip name and logo, the Microchip logo, dsPIC, FlashFlex, KEELOQ, KEELOQ logo, MPLAB, PIC, PICmicro, PICSTART, PIC32 logo, rfPIC, SST, SST Logo, SuperFlash and UNI/O are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. FilterLab, Hampshire, HI-TECH C, Linear Active Thermistor, MTP, SEEVAL and The Embedded Control Solutions Company are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. Silicon Storage Technology is a registered trademark of Microchip Technology Inc. in other countries.Analog-for-the-Digital Age, Application Maestro, BodyCom, chipKIT, chipKIT logo, CodeGuard, dsPICDEM, dsPICDEM.net, dsPICworks, dsSPEAK, ECAN, ECONOMONITOR, FanSense, HI-TIDE, In Circuit Serial Programming, ICSP, Mindi, MiWi, MPASM, MPF, MPLAB Certified logo, MPLIB, MPLINK, mTouch, Omniscient Code Generation, PICC, PICC-18, PICDEM, PICDEM.net, PICkit, PICtail, REAL ICE, rfLAB, Select Mode, SQI, Serial Quad I/O, Total Endurance, TSHARC, UniWinDriver, WiperLock, ZENA and Z-Scale are trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries.SQTP is a service mark of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. GestIC and ULPP are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Germany II GmbH & Co. & KG, a subsidiary of Microchip Technology Inc., in other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective companies. © 2013, Microchip Technology Incorporated, All Rights Reserved.

ContentsDESIGN ARTICLES23 Tamper Resistant Nonvolatile

Storage with Battery Backed-Serial SRAM

25 The Quick Path to Code Development

26 Why Can’t I Get Enough Current Out of This Battery Charger IC?

27 Don’t Let MCU Programming Become an Afterthought

29 Sample Rate Conversion Library for High Quality 24-bit and 16-bit Audio

31 A Modular Approach to Wireless Sensor Network Design

33 Sine Wave Generation Using a Numerically Controlled Oscillator

FEATURES16 Keeping Pace with Medical

Advances18 Product Spotlight35 Register for Worldwide

MASTERs Conference

TECHNOLOGY 4 Driving into the Future

MOST150 is on course to support the next generation of in-car networking applications

7 USB in the Automotive WorldUsing the popular consumer interface to implement digital applications in cars

NEW PRODUCTS 10 The Well-Connected Car

OS81118 is the first MOST150 INIC supporting USB 2.0 high-speed device interface and coaxial physical layer

12 Ready to Go Wireless?Expanded Embedded Wireless portfolio offers new Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi® and ZigBee® products

14 Simple, Intelligent, AnalogIntegrated op amps added to low-cost 8-bit PIC® microcontrollers

15 Want More Capabilities for Less Cost?New MCUs feature on-chip 12-bit ADC, op amps, high-performance 16-bit PWMs and high-speed comparators

NEW TOOLS 19 Wi-Fi Connectivity in the Palm of Your Hand 20 Click, Drop, Customize 21 Explore GestIC® Technology 22 Speed Up Your PIC24 Lite 5V Project

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May/June 2013

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The MASTERs Advantage

Planning for the 17th annual MASTERs Conference is well underway as we go to press with this issue of MicroSolutions.

This premiere technical training conference for embedded control engineers is the perfect opportunity for you to learn more about Microchip’s products as well as general embedded control topics such as motor con-trol, power supply design, lighting control, communication protocols like USB and TCP/IP, C programming, graphic display technologies, touch sense methods and analog system design. Get a jump start on your week by attending our special Pre-Conference program, offering an in-depth training on tools, devices and applications.

You will also have plenty of time to network with engineers from around the world in a relaxed envi-ronment and enjoy various fun activities after classes are over. Bring the family and have them participate in

engineering based evening activities which are created so they can have fun learning. All the action will take place at Arizona’s largest luxury resort, the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Scottsdale.

This year’s MASTERs Conference is scheduled for August 21-24, with the Pre-Conference pro-gram taking place on August 19-20. We’d love to have you join us for the unique engineer-to-engineer experience that our MASTERs Conference provides. So visit the MASTERs website to learn more and sign up today!

As always, we would be happy to get your feedback on MicroSolutions. Feel free to email us at MSFeedback@microchip.com.

“It was fantastic, a great use of my time. THANKS!!”

“The conference is always great. I can

think of nothing else.”

“Just keep it going, I plan on returning.”

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TECHNOLOGY

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In-car networking applications are continuing to proliferate with each new model year. To support the future of automotive network

communications, designers will require a flex-ible, upgradable and stable framework capable of managing a growing number of IP-based applications and their increased demands for bandwidth. Some requirements include provid-ing quick software updates to various control devices within the car and fast media access to onboard mass storage systems (HDD/SSD), mobile support for USB-connected consumer electronics devices and WLAN- or LTE-connected car-to-x applications, and streaming uncom-pressed transfer of video data for driver as-sistance camera systems. The network should support common data formats and be inherently scalable and extendable to provide the optimal network speed.

For over ten years, MOST technology has been adopted by the automotive industry as the standard for in-car audio and video com-munication. Now in its third generation with MOST150, MOST is poised to support the ongoing evolution of a variety of automotive applications.

Driving into the FutureMedia Oriented Systems Transport (MOST®), the Networking Standard for Automotive Entertainment and Information, is On Course to Support Next-Generation Applications

InfotainmentThe automotive industry increasingly faces the challenge of keeping up with rapid devel-opments in consumer electronics and the mul-tiplying diversity of entertainment applications. End users who are fully engaged in the digital lifestyle can now carry their entertainment sys-tems virtually everywhere, including the home, the office and the car. Focusing on the efficient and innovative migration of features like internet radio and video, Universal Plug-n-Play (UPnP)

and online con-nection via Wi-Fi®, UMTS and LTE, MOST provides designers with an

effective and reliable way to connect these external systems and services to the in-car network.

Data StreamingMOST technology was developed to enable the streaming of data to different devices and to ease the load on entertainment systems within cars. Internet protocol (IP) is being used more frequently to stream packet-based data be-tween the outside world and the car. MOST’s Ethernet packet channel conforms to the “Open Systems Interconnect” (OSI) Reference Model for network communication of the International

Now in its third generation with MOST150, MOST is poised to

support the ongoing evolution of a variety of automotive applications.

However, as data rates increase network designers need to anticipate bottlenecks and data jams and consider the interfaces between the network interface controller and the CPU or GPU. In addition to efficient general purpose interfaces like USB or PCI, application-specific interfaces are necessary for the transmission of uncompressed or compressed video and audio data. These will enable data to be transported directly from a source to a sink without protocol overhead, additional CPU load or the uncertainties

for the seamless integration of these systems. A consensus has been reached between many OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to incorporate a new cluster in the electric/electronic ECO system. MOST delivers a holistic, optimal system solution, already meeting the requirements of merg-ing infotainment and driver assistance into the in-vehicle network. The next generation of MOST will incorporate even higher band-width to support the performance demands of the combined infotainment and driver assistance domains.

SpeedAutomotive networking applications require a balance between the highest possible data rates, robustness and cost. The bandwidth factor primarily addresses requirements for the uncompressed transmission of camera signals, display content and high speed ap-plications like USB 3.0. To meet the anticipat-ed demands of future in-car applications, the next generation of MOST is targeted to offer a data transfer rate of 5 Gbit/s.

Organization for Standardization (ISO). The latest version of MOST connects infotain-ment and data IP frames and complies with IEEE802.x specifications. MOST provides the network architecture for a broad range of current and future IP-based applications, such as the support of apps to connected services and general internet access. It also supports standards for consumer electronics, like UPnP and DLNA®, as well as standards for automotive diagnostics over IP (DoIP).

Driver Assistance Driver assistance systems are gaining in popularity and have been credited with having a positive impact on driving behavior, fuel effi-ciency, traffic safety and overall cost savings. Given these benefits, there will probably be a rapid increase in the number of cars that offer integrated driver assistance functions in the coming years. Features could potentially include camera systems, distance alert and lane departure warnings, as well as informa-tional functions such as navigation systems, traffic information and operational warnings. A driver assistance network will be necessary

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TECHNOLOGY

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Automotive Connectivity Solutions from Microchip, a Leading Provider of MOST Technology

multiport interface controller to allocate the full bandwidth to each branch in the network. An additional standard high-speed interface, which is compatible with the modern interfaces used by powerful media processors used for multimedia oper-ation or driver assistance applications, is also integrated into MOST. The various branches can then be set up in a ring or daisy-chain topology and can be hot-plugged or discon-nected without affecting data communication in the rest of the system. This will allow the incorporation of new applications like driver assistance systems, which require a star architecture.

As future network communication for automotive applications will need to adapt to increasing bandwidth requirements and functionality, designers need a reliable solu-tion that will support a wide variety of enter-tainment and information options. With plans to support a 5 Gbit/s data rate, its ability to run over both optical and electrical physical layers, and its multiplex architecture with powerful interfaces, multiprotocol channels, synchronicity and low latency of the network, the MOST architecture is ready to drive into the future. Visit the MOST Cooperation website for more information on MOST150.

If you are looking to implement MOST150 technology into your automotive design, Microchip offers ICs, network management software and tools for MOST networks and MediaLB® communication. Visit Microchip’s Automotive website or contact your local Microchip regional sales office for additional information.

of software stacks. In contrast to most networks, MOST does not require addition-al communication processors, but offers the transport of application-specific data streams with guaranteed bandwidth and latency.

Physical LayerPolymer optical fiber (POF), which has been the primary physical layer used to date in MOST applications, cannot support the tar-geted data transmission rate of 5 Gbit/s. As a result, a number of companies are investi-gating the suitability of fiber glass technology, which is already being successfully used in the consumer and telecommunications industries, for automotive applications.

In the electrical domain, the coaxial standard recently introduced for MOST offers a scal-able physical layer. This opens new options for automotive applications, particularly for driver assistance systems, as this physical layer allows for bidirectional communication and power supply across the same cable.

Multiplex NetworkThe automotive network of the future requires a powerful and scalable multiplex architec-ture with a free topology configuration. MOST technology offers an expandable multi-pro-tocol approach which allows different types of data to be transported across its different channel types. It provides sufficient interfac-es for I2S™, RGB, I2C™, MII, CAN and USB to implement several instances per channel, plus offers the flexibility to add extra chan-nels for future protocols. It also supports a variety and combination of topologies—from star to daisy-chain to tree—using a

TECHNOLOGY

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TECHNOLOGY

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Given the widespread use of USB as a consumer interface, it offers an appealing solution for connecting

the consumer’s digital experiences with the sophisticated entertainment systems increas-ingly found within the car. USB provides the perfect interface as it has a very well defined connector that is easy for both carmakers and device makers to use. However, because au-tomotive applications demand high levels of quality and reliability, USB-based automotive applications require special knowledge and expertise. Microchip has successfully incorporated USB into the robust and reliable MOST® information and entertain-ment backbone to allow car makers to quickly deliver new functionality to support in-car use of consumer devices like cameras, telephones, media players, and portable navigation devic-es, as well as provide battery charging capabili-ties for wireless devices like Bluetooth® phones.

USB HubsIn a master-slave hierarchy, one USB host connects to multiple USB devices. Although many of the microcontrollers used in today’s vehicles provide at least a single USB port, ad-ditional ports are required to connect the variety of devices that are used in many of today’s cars.

USB in the Automotive WorldThe Popular Consumer Interface Also Provides Connectivity to Implement Digital Applications in Cars

In addition to the numerous consumer devices that can be brought into a car by its passengers, some embedded applications also use the USB interface inside a component, where it is not accessible to the user. Devices like Bluetooth radios are also available with USB interfaces. USB drives that are both inexpensive and more reliable than their rotating media counterparts are used for mass storage. To provide con-

nectivity for both em-bedded and external consumer devices, USB hubs—like the USB82514 USB 2.0

hub with its support for up to four additional USB ports—are available to provide multiple downstream ports that connect to a single port on the microcontroller.

Microchip has successfully incorporated USB into the robust

and reliable MOST information and entertainment backbone.

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Figure 1 – A USB Hub Provides Mutliple Connection Points

USB TransceiversThe analog portion of the USB interface is left out of many microcontrollers because analog circuits don’t scale well into smaller digital geometries and because it saves on cost. Instead, designers of microcontrol-lers often implement ULPI in their devices (UTMI+ Low Pin Interface; UTMI stands for USB 2.0 Transceiver Macrocell Interface) to connect to external USB transceivers. These transceivers then connect to actual devices.

There are some benefits to keeping the component that connects to the outside world external to the processor in charge of the functions of a device. The number of I/O pins on the central processor can be reduced to support a single USB port. The processor can also be primarily digital, taking advantage of the smaller silicon geometries available today. In addition, using an external USB IC—whether it is a hub or a transceiv-er—protects the high-value processor from accidental damage entering from the outside world. Instead of disabling the entire system, this damage may only affect the external USB port.

For automotive USB transceiver applications, the USB83340 is optimized for use in cases where a low operating current and standby currents are essential. The device integrates 3.3V and 1.8V regulators, making it possible to operate the device from a single power supply. It also uses Microchip’s wrapperless technology to implement the ULPI interface, allowing the PHY to achieve low latency receiving and transmitting.

USB Card ReadersMemory cards have rapidly come down in price while offering increased storage ca-pacity. In an automotive environment, a hub/card reader combo device makes it easy

Figure 2 – A USB Flash Media Reader/Hub Combination to Connect to Solid State Memory

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TECHNOLOGYto update navigation data by replacing an SD card. This provides a significantly less expensive solution than a complete CD or DVD player. Media can also be stored in a similar device so that an entertainment system no longer needs to support a mul-titude of consumer media players. It only needs to support a few file formats to pro-vide its own playback functions. Microchip’s USB82640 combines a two-port USB 2.0 hub with a flash media reader that supports the Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard™ (MMC) and Sony Memory Stick® formats. It also supports the Secure Digital Input Output (SDIO) interface used by many embedded devices, such as Wi-Fi® (aka WLAN) radios and GPS receivers.

Reducing System Cost: Raw vs. Managed Flash MemoryA card reader can significantly reduce system cost by using managed memory instead of the typical raw Flash memory that stores a microcontroller’s programs. Although Flash memory now offers doubled or even tripled storage density in a given area of silicon, this increased density is also more sensi-tive. Reading or writing to a cell can disturb the cells around it and the endurance—the number of erase/program cycles—of the memory can be reduced. Memory man-agement becomes critical to avoiding the

(continued on page 9)

adverse effects of offering additional storage using Flash memory. The methods vary by the specific Flash technology used and need to be implemented in the host processor, taking away computing cycles from other applications.

The common MultiMediaCard (MMC) format, which has been widely available in consumer products for years, contains a small control-ler which is capable of effectively managing Flash memory. It can provide wear level-ing, moving data around as cells wear out, and making sure the appropriate blocks of memory are read or written. It also provides ECC error correction, critical for the higher density memories, without taxing the host microcontroller.

The MMC format provides a standard interface to the microcontroller. All the tech-nology-specific memory management is car-ried out within the MMC card. Because using MMC is so efficient, an embedded MMC

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TECHNOLOGY(eMMC) format is now also available. A card reader can easily enable any microcontroller with a USB port to use eMMC without having to implement the full card reader functionality within the microcontroller. A dual card reader can be used to simultaneously connect eMMC as well as an external memory card provided by a consumer.

TrueAuto™ QualityMicrochip’s USB devices for automotive applications all comply with TrueAuto, Microchip’s proven total approach to true au-tomotive-grade quality. This allows Microchip to deliver leading-edge, quality devices and services which fulfill the needs of the most demanding automotive customers.

TrueAuto device robustness begins with designing Microchip’s reliability techniques within the silicon IC itself. The IC is fully-char-acterized over many operating parameters to ensure quality under a variety of conditions. Microchip’s TrueAuto approach meets or ex-ceeds automotive reliability standards as well as customer-specific requirements and goes far beyond the stress tests prescribed by the AEC-Q100 specifications. Extensive tech-nologies and processes, such as enhanced monitors, are implemented in the fabrication of TrueAuto products in order to continuous-ly drive improvements in accordance with Microchip’s zero Defects per Million (DPM) goals.

Visit Microchip’s Automotive USB website or contact your local Microchip regional sales office if you would like more informa-tion on implementing USB in an automotive application.

Figure 3 – Raw vs. Managed Flash Memory

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NEW PRODUCT

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Three trends are currently emerging within the automotive infotainment market. The first is the need for a high-speed

solution to transfer and distribute high-quality audio, video and TCP/IP data within the car. The second is the increased demand to con-nect the car with the mobile world. The third is the growing adoption of high-end sytems-on-a-chip (SoCs) – originally developed for con-sumer and mobile devices – within automotive applications.

MOST150, which was successfully deployed starting in 2012, provides the network framework to meet the increased demand for high-speed data streaming in automotive applications. As the latest member of Microchip’s MOST150 INIC family, the OS81118 provides a robust solution for addressing expanding in-car con-nectivity requirements.

Incorporating a USB 2.0 port which includes a USB PHY and High-Speed Inter-Chip inter-face (HSIC), the OS81118 allows you to create in-car mobile and Wi-Fi connectivity applica-tions over the MOST150 network by connect-ing a standard Wi-Fi/3G/LTE module via USB. This simple solution enables the implementa-tion of consumer applications such as Internet

The Well-Connected Car OS81118 Intelligent Network Interface Controller (INIC) Enables Simplified In-Car Mobile as Well as Wi-Fi® Connectivity and Modern Head-Unit Design for MOST® Infotainment Networks

First MOST150 INIC Supporting USB 2.0 High-Speed Device Interface and Coaxial Physical Layer Solution

access, e-mail, social networking and local services within the automotive environment. The high-speed USB port can also be used to connect the latest multi-core consumer SoCs to the MOST150 network, even if these SoCs do not incorporate automotive-specific interfaces such as CAN, LIN, and MediaLB®. In addition to

its optical physical layer (oPHY) interface, the OS81118 integrates a coax transceiver, which opens a cost-reduction path on the MOST phys-ical layer. This coaxial physical layer (cPHY) can also be used for implementing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

In-Car Mobile and Wi-Fi ConnectivityWhen used in combination with a 3G/LTE and Wi-Fi module, the OS81118 can enable in-car mobile and Wi-Fi connectivity. In this applica-tion, the 3G/LTE and Wi-Fi module is connect-ed to the OS81118’s USB port, which is able to process all data types required to implement this system. As shown in Figure 1 on the next page, the 3G/LTE and Wi-Fi module receives

The OS81118 allows designers to create in-car mobile and

Wi-Fi connectivity applications over the MOST150 network.

The OS81118 Is a Robust Solution for Automotive Connectivity Requirements

IP data over an external antenna. The data is forwarded over USB to the OS81118, which connects to the MOST network. The IP data is processed over the MOST Ethernet chan-nel as MOST Ethernet packets (MEPs), and Voice over IP (VOIP) data is transferred over the MOST Quality of Service (QoS) IP chan-nels. Control data, which is used to manage the behavior of a MOST device, is handled over the MOST control channel.

Because different communication paths are used to separate IP data from control data, communication within the car over the MOST network—used to manage in-car security and safety—can still remain functional even when external IP data is not available. When IP data is available, it can be streamed over the MOST network to allow components like the head unit, rear-seat entertainment sys-tems and peripheral devices—including cell-phones and tablets—to connect to internet radio, e-mail, social networking, games, navi-gation, and local services. An optical physical layer or coax electrical physical layer can be used to implement this functionality, depend-ing on the cable harness requirements and the positioning of the device. The OS81118’s internal coax transceiver requires no exter-nal components other than standard cable connectors.

Figure 1 - Enabling Moble and Wi-Fi Connectivity with OS81118

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NEW PRODUCTHead Unit Designs Based on the Latest Multi-Core Consumer SoCsThe OS81118 provides a high level of flexibility for designers of automotive head units. It allows the incorporation of the latest multi-core consumer SoCs – which have USB interfaces, but may not have standard auto-motive interfaces – into the head unit design. Automotive and MOST specific functionality, which is provided by MOST NetServices™, can be implemented on the vehicle central processing unit (VCPU). MediaLB or I2C™ can be used as the communication interface between the VCPU and the OS81118. Mul-timedia-specific applications such as audio, video, and IP run on the SoC. To maximize efficiency, the SoC uses the USB port for IP and isochronous data transfer over the MOST network, whereas the OS81118’s streaming port (I2S™) is used for low-laten-cy audio transfers between the SoC or tuner IC/DSP and the MOST network.

Development Support

The Physical+ Interface Board OS81118 encapsulates the entire physical hardware interface of a MOST network to assist with product develoment. It comes with a USB 2.0 interface supporting optical and coaxial phys-ical layers and is expected to be available in Q3/2013.

Figure 2 - OS81118 In Head-Unit Design

Microchip’s Latest Embedded Wireless Portfolio Enable a Variety of Applications

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NEW PRODUCT

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If you design wireless networks optimized for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee or proprietary protocols, our recently-expanded embed-

ded wireless portfolio offers a number of new solutions to help make your task easier.

Many wireless network designs—such as battery-powered home and industrial auto-mation wireless-sensor mesh networks and ZigBee RF4CE-standard-based remote con-trols—need to operate with very low power con-sumption. For these applications, the next-gen-eration, 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.15.4 MRF24XA transceiver radio provides a very low operating volt-age range of 1.5 to 3.6V and receive power con-sumption of only 13 mA, which enables years of battery life. This is also Microchip’s first radio that can support both the IEEE 802.15.4 and proprietary data rates (from 125 kbps to 2 Mbps), including ZigBee, MiWi™ Wireless Networking Protocol and other proprietary protocols.

If you are looking for an easy way to migrate your 802.15.4 designs to either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth in order to make them accessible from smart phones and tablets or to add Internet connec-tivity, the RN XV series of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Ready to Go Wireless? Microchip Expands Embedded Wireless Portfolio with New Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi® and ZigBee® Products

Expansion Includes PIC32 Bluetooth Digital Audio Kit, Feature-Rich Wi-Fi Modules, IEEE 802.15.4 & Proprietary Radio, and XBee® Compatible Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Modules

socket modules provides agency-certified, drop-in connectivity for any XBee socket. To simplify designs, the stacks are integrated on the module, configured via simple ASCII com-mands, and can easily connect to any MCU via a serial interface. These modules can be used in wireless sensor networks, remote monitor-ing/control and measurement applications, and M2M cable replacements for home, commercial and industrial networks.

To add extensible Wi-Fi functionality, such as a complete Web server and email, via a config-

urable source-code TCP/IP stack that is resident on one of many PIC® microcon-trollers, the new low-pow-er and agency-certified

MRF24WG0MA/MB modules connect at all IEEE 802.11b/g data rates up to 54 Mbps and are our first to support a sustained throughput of 5 Mbps. This provides a footprint-compatible migration path for users of our existing Wi-Fi modules who need greater speed or increased access-point compatibility and also delivers more features.

The use of Bluetooth digital audio is rapidly expanding in high-volume applications such as accessories for smart phones and tablets as

The RN XV series provides an easy way to migrate

802.15.4 designs to either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

well as audio sound bars. Our 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers provide a high-performance platform for developing quality digital-audio playback and accessories. The new PIC32 Bluetooth Audio Development Kit builds on our existing stack-integrated Bluetooth audio module with a new low-cost, agency-certified Bluetooth HCI transceiver module based on a standard radio, AVRCP and A2DP Bluetooth profiles tailored for the PIC32, as well as both standard and advanced audio CODECs such as SBC, AAC and MP3. This kit, expected

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NEW PRODUCTto be widely-available this summer, can be used with our existing Made for iPod® and Android™ stacks. Together, these elements provide a versatile and powerful development platform with a high level of customization and flexibility.

Visit our Wireless Products page for more information on our broad portfolio of cost-effective and easy to implement solutions for your wireless applications.

®

NEW PRODUCT

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Both devices are well-suited for a number of low-cost sensor products.

Two new 8-bit PIC microcontrollers, the PIC16F527 and PIC16F570, com-bine the ease-of-use of a PIC MCU

with low-cost analog peripherals to create a well-integrated, cost-effective family suitable for a wide range of applications. With an on-chip dual op amp module, 8-bit ADC and two com-parators, these MCUs are ideal for systems that require signal conditioning and amplification to interpret analog inputs.

The PIC16F527 and PIC16F570 employ a small and highly efficient 8-bit architecture, and add several features to support ease

of use and system robustness. The all-new hardware interrupt capability gives you the freedom to implement more complex functions without adding software overhead, while an integrated Brown-Out Reset (BOR) can detect faults in system power and safely reset the MCU to avoid memory corruption.

The two MCUs also feature self-read/write program Flash memory, which allows for high-use data EEPROM functionality. These key fea-tures, along with the integration of commonly

Simple, Intelligent, AnalogMicrochip Brings Integrated Op Amps to Low-Cost 8-bit PIC® Microcontrollers

Featuring On-Chip Op Amps, High-Speed Comparators, and ADC for General-Purpose, Signal Conditioning and Sensing Applications

used analog peripherals, make the PIC16F527 and PIC16F570 well suited for a number of low-cost sensor products, such as smoke detectors, carbon-monoxide detectors, photo sensors and automotive sensor interface modules.

The PIC16F527 MCU is offered in 20-pin PDIP, SOIC, SSOP and QFN packages, and is avail-able today for sampling and volume production, starting at $0.47 each in 10,000-unit quantities. The PIC16F570 is offered in 28-pin PDIP, SOIC, SSOP and QFN packages, and is expected to be available in June for sampling and volume production, starting at $0.57 each in 10,000-unit quantities. At less than $0.39 in high volume, these two new MCUs offer tremendous value to the 8-bit marketplace.

Development SupportMicrochip’s full suite of development tools support the PIC16F MCUs. These tools in-clude the PICkit™ Low Pin Count Demo Board (DM164130-9), the PICDEM™ Lab Development Kit with PICkit 3 (DM163045), the PICDEM Mechatronics Demo Board (DM163029), the PICkit 3 Starter Kit (DV164130), the MPLAB® ICD 3 Evaluation Kit (DV164036) and the MPLAB XC8 Compiler for 8-bit PIC MCUs.

PIC16F527 and PIC16F570 PIC Microcontrollers for Low-Cost Sensor Products

NEW PRODUCT

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The latest expansion to the 8-bit PIC16F178X enhanced Mid-Range core microcontroller family delivers increased

Flash memory densities, intelligent analog and digital peripherals, such as on-chip 12-bit ana-log-to-digital converters (ADCs), 16-bit PWMs, 8-bit and 5-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs), operational amplifiers, and high-speed comparators with 50 ns response time, along with EUSART (including LIN), I2C™ and SPI interface peripherals.

The PIC16F178X are the first PIC® MCUs to implement the new Programmable Switch Mode Controller (PSMC), which is an advanced 16-bit pulse-width modulator (PWM) with 64 MHz operation and high-performance capabilities.

This com-bination of f e a t u r e s e n a b l e s

higher efficiency and performance, along with cost and space reductions. The new MCUs also feature eXtreme Low Power (XLP) tech-nology for active and sleep currents of just 32 µA/MHz and 50 nA, respectively, helping to extend battery life and reduce standby cur-rent consumption. Low power consumption in combination with advanced analog and digital integration make the PIC16F178X MCUs ideal

Want More Capabilities for Less Cost?New MCUs Feature On-Chip 12-bit ADC, Op Amps, High-Performance 16-bit PWMs and High-Speed Comparators

for LED and other lighting applications, battery management, digital power supplies, motor control and general-purpose applications.

Available in 28- and 40-pin packages, the MCUs’ intelligent analog integration paired with Core Independent Peripherals, inclusive of the PSMC, DACs, op amps, high-speed comparators and 12-bit ADC, enable self-sus-taining smart control loops with minimal CPU intervention. This allows for optimal applica-tion control while freeing the CPU to provide incremental application value, such as system health monitoring, communications, or human- interface control. Additionally, the MCUs fea-ture a 32 MHz internal oscillator, 2–16K Words (3.5–28K Bytes) of Flash, 256–2K Bytes of RAM and 256 Bytes of data EEPROM.

Development SupportYou can quickly begin your initial evaluation and development of the PIC16F178X family with the F1 PSMC 28-pin Evaluation Board Platform (164130-10). Additionally, the PIC16F178X family is supported by our standard suite of world-class development tools, including the PICkit™ 3 (PG164130), MPLAB® REAL ICE™ In-Circuit Emulator (DV244005), MPLAB ICD 3 (DV164035) debuggers/programmers, and MPLAB XC8 Compiler.

PIC16F168X Family Offers Advanced Analog and Digital Integration

The new MCUs feature eXtreme Low Power (XLP) Technology.

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SOLUTIONS

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MedicalWireless• CertifiedWi-Fi® &

Bluetooth® Modules• Low Power Operation• No RF Expertise Necessary• Quick Time to Market

MedicalWireless

Easy | Low Power | DESIGN DONE

Ready to meet the demands of the rapidly-evolving world of medical appli-cations, our broad portfolio of products

and experience serve the world’s top medical device companies. The following featured products can help bring your medical product concepts to market reality.

PIC16F178X MicrocontrollersThe PIC16F178X family of microcontrollers offers a powerful single-chip design solution for portable/wearable, low-power, and cost-ef-fective medical device designs. The high level of integration of this microcontroller family can deliver an overall lower bill of material cost as well as give you more flexibility and control in your designs.

The integrated analog feature set consists of up to three operational amplifiers and a fully differ-ential 12-bit ADC for signal conditioning as well as high performance rail-to-rail comparators. Both an on-chip fixed voltage reference and an 8-bit DAC can be utilized in several ways including use as a fixed or variable voltage ref-erence under program control. Additional fea-tures of the PIC16F178X microcontroller family include integrated capacitive touch sensing as well as advanced PWM capability. This family

Keeping Pace with Medical AdvancesMicrocontrollers, Instrumentation Amplifiers and Wireless Bluetooth® Module Support a Variety of Medical Applications

of microcontrollers offers the industry standard for low power with its nanoWatt XLP technology.

Looking to the future? The PIC16F178X family of microcontrollers uses the same tool set, in-cluding the MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environment, which is used for all of our PIC® microcontrollers. Future designs can quick-ly and easily be ported to our broad portfo-lio of 8-bit, 16-bit, dsPIC® DSCs, and 32-bit microcontrollers.

FeaturesandBenefitsIntegrated operational amplifiers give you the ability to create powerful signal conditioning solutions with minimal external components.

• Integrated, fully differential 12-bit ADC with software selectable references offers increased ADC resolution for demanding analog signal processing requirements

• Integrated fixed voltage reference and on-chip 8-bit DAC enables medical device designs with high-resolution, stable references that are independent of VDD and drifting supply voltage

• Integrated mTouch™ Technology; capacitive touch sensing technology replaces mechanical buttons and enables the design

RN42 supports Bluetooth version 2.1 and Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) and is backwards-compatible with Bluetooth version 2.0, 1.2, and 1.1 as well as Bluetooth data link to iPhone®/iPad®/iPod® Touch.

FeaturesandBenefits• Agency-certified in the USA, Canada and

Europe for minimal regulatory hassles

• Complete Bluetooth SIG qualified radio module adds wireless capability without RF design

• 128-bit encryption for secure data communications

• Programmable low power modes for portable/hand¬held devices

• On-board embedded Bluetooth stack allows use with or without a host processor

ApplicationsWireless technology can be added to many clinical and home use medical devices includ-ing patient monitors, weight scales, portable data terminals and blood pressure meters.

For information on product availability and related development tools for all these devic-es, please contact your local Microchip sales office or visit www.microchip.com.

optimize the input offset voltage and input noise for different applications.

FeaturesandBenefits• Wide power supply range and low power

standby mode for long battery life in portable medical devices.

• Multiple minimum gain options simplify interfacing to a variety of medical sensors.

Applications• Signal chain conditioning for high-side

current sensors• Wheatstone bridge sensors or difference

amplifiers in electronic medical devices such as ECG heart monitors, myoelectri-cal monitors, and electrochemical sensors

RN42 Class 2 Bluetooth ModuleThe RN42 is a small form factor, low power, class 2 Bluetooth radio. It was engineered specifically for designers who want to add wireless capability to their products without adding a lot of complexity and cycle time. The RN42 supports multiple interface pro-tocols, is simple to design in, and is fully certified, so it doesn’t add to medical device designers’ regulatory burden. It is a complete embedded Bluetooth solution, functionally compatible with the Class 1 RN41. With its high-performance, on-chip antenna and sup-port for Bluetooth EDR, the RN42 delivers up to a 3 Mbps data rate for distances up to 20 meters.

The RN42 is also available in a package without an antenna (RN42-N). Useful when the application requires an external antenna, the RN42-N is shorter in length and has RF pads to route the antenna signal.

For maximum compatibility with installed Bluetooth-enabled medical devices, the

of high-reliability buttons, sliders, and proximity detectors in custom sizes and shapes

• Microchip’s nanoWatt XLP, eXtreme low power technology makes possible smaller-footprint, portable and wearable medical device designs with longer battery lifetimes than were previously possible

Applications• Blood pressure monitors• CPAP • Glucose meters• Insulin pumps• Oxygen concentrator• Thermometers

MCP6N11 Instrumentation AmplifierThe MCP6N11 is an instrumentation ampli-fier (INA) with Enable/VOS Calibration pin (EN/CAL) and several minimum gain options. It is optimized for single-supply operation with rail-to-rail input (no common mode crossover distortion) and output performance.

Two external resistors set the gain, minimizing gain error and drift-over tempera-ture. The reference voltage (Vref) shifts the output voltage (Vout).The supply voltage range (1.8V to 5.5V) is low enough to support many portable applications. All devices are fully specified from -40°C to +125°C.

These parts have five minimum gain options (1, 2, 5, 10 and 100 V/V). This allows you to

SOLUTIONS

171717

MCP6N11 Instrumentation Amplifier

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

18

Low Power, I2C and Hardware CVD in a Small PackageThe low-cost, low pin count PIC12LF1552 is Microchip’s smallest (2 x 3 mm UDFN package) and lowest-cost PIC® MCU with hardware I2C™ support. It includes a four channel 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with hardware capacitive voltage divider (CVD) support for capacitive touch sensing. This new MCU also features 3.5 KB Flash program memory,

256 Bytes RAM, a 32 MHz internal oscillator, low-voltage operation from 1.8V to 3.6V, and low power consumption for active and sleep currents of 50 µA/MHz and 20 nA, respectively. The PIC12LF1552 is well suited for applications such as temperature-monitoring devices, small remote controls, smartphone buttons, room light control, and coffeemakers. More Information.

New PIC24 Lite MCUs for Cost-Sensitive ApplicationsThe PIC24F “KM” family provides a new level of integrated analog functionality such as a 12-bit ADC with threshold de-tection, 8-bit DACs for analog control loops and precision comparator references, and op amps to assist in sensor am-plifications. The PIC24 “KM” MCUs are the first to feature the new Multiple-output Capture Compare PWM Module (MCCP)

and Single-output Capture Compare PWM Module (SCCP) peripherals, which include integrated timers and advanced PWM control to enable motor-control, power-supply and lighting applications. This is also the first PIC24 family to offer a Configurable Logic Cell (CLC) for increased on-chip interconnection of peripherals. More Information.

LIN Devices Comply with Global Automotive StandardsNew offerings for the rapidly growing LIN in-vehicle network market are the LIN 2.1 and SAE J2602-2 compliant and low-power MCP2003A transceiver, MCP2021A, MCP2022A, MCP2025 and MCP2050 LIN system basis chips (SBCs), and PIC16F1829LIN System in Package (SiP). These devices include high integration options, such as a voltage regulator,

windowed watchdog timer, battery monitor output and an MCU. They feature high robustness, in-cluding high electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electrostatic discharge (ESD) levels of more than 15 kV on the LIN bus and battery-voltage pins. More Information.

The Wi-Fi G Demo Board supports multiple security types.

NEW TOOLS

19

The internet is the largest network in the world, and more and more people are discovering the advantage of using

Wi-Fi to connect devices using this global stan-dard. Microchip is meeting the demand to add Wi-Fi connectivity to embedded systems with easy-to-use, fully-certified Wi-Fi modules. Our newest low power, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi module, the MRF24WG0MA, connects to hundreds of PIC® microcontrollers via a 4-wire SPI inter-face. It is an ideal solution for low-power Wi-Fi sensor networks, home automation, building automation and consumer applications.

The Wi-Fi G Demo Board (DV102412) is now available to assist you in evaluating the MRF24WG0MA. This innovative demo board is a fully-functional standalone extensible web server. The Wi-Fi G Demo Board includes the MRF24WG0MA Wi-Fi module connected to a pre-programmed PIC32 microcontroller, boost regulator, status LEDs, pushbuttons, and several user pins, all in a sleek, battery pow-ered package. The onboard PIC32 is pre-pro-grammed with Microchip’s feature-rich TCP/IP stack. This external stack is ideal for enabling additional services and features necessary for many low power Wi-Fi applications.

For exploring the features of the MRF24WG0MA Wi-Fi module, the Wi-Fi G Demo Board is

Wi-Fi® Connectivity in the Palm of Your HandNew Demo Board is a Fully-Functional Standalone Web Server Powered by Two AAA Batteries

pre-loaded with demo software that uses a network provisioning mechanism called EasyConfig that enables the user to configure the board on a wireless network. The demo also includes a sample web page that runs on the board’s web server. You can control the on-board LEDs and view the status of the board’s push-button switch from a standard web brows-er on devices such as iPhones®, Android™ phones, and laptops.

The Wi-Fi G Demo Board supports multiple security types, including Open, WEP-40, WEP-104, WPA, and WPA2. Additionally, it supports several network types such as Infrastructure (client), Adhoc, and most recently, SoftAP, which allows the module to behave like an access point, simplifying use and creating com-patibility across platforms.

The Wi-Fi G Demo Board includes user guide, schematics, and free TCP/IP stacks and application demos that can be downloaded from www.microchip.com/mla. The board is available now from microchipDIRECT for just $50.00 USD.

Wi-Fi G Demo Board Sample Web Page

Key Components of Wi-Fi G Demo Board• MRF24WMG0MA RF Transceiver

module

• PIC32MX695F512H 32-bit microcontroller

• MCP1642 +3.3V Boost regulator

• Three status indicator LEDs

• One push-button switch for user input

• Power ON/OFF slider switch

• 6-pin debug port

• 8-pin sensor port

NEW TOOLS

20

Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are found in a wide range of products today—from coffeemakers to automo-

tive dashboards. However, there is a serious shortage of cost effective tools to assist you with creating these interfaces.

Graphics Display Designer X (GDD X) is an enhanced visual design tool that provides you with a quick and easy way of creating graph-ical user interface screens for applica-tions using Micro-chip’s 16-or 32-bit PIC MCUs. GDD X gives you the freedom to work in your choice of environment, including Windows, Linux or Mac OS operating systems.

Placing dialog boxes, guidance text, buttons, sliders, dials and other elements of a GUI while determining colors and calculating x/y coordi-nates can be very time consuming. GDD X en-ables the development of GUIs in a “What You See Is What You Get” (WYSIWYG) environ-ment, and saves you valuable design time by automatically generating the C code needed for

Click, Drop, CustomizeGraphics Display Designer X Supports PIC® MCU-based GUI Creation on Windows®, Linux® or Mac® Computers

Easy-to-Use Tool Enables the Development of Graphical User Interfaces and Saves Valuable Design Time

the user interface. With GDD X, you can create a highly effective GUI to improve the customer experience for a wide variety of applications.

GDD X enables development using Microchip’s Graphics Library, and can be used as a stand-alone tool or as a plug-in to Microchip’s free MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environ-ment (IDE). It allows you to create a project with configurable display resolution, and imports all the required driver/board support files into MPLAB X IDE.Generated code can be com-piled and tested on hardware. Key improve-ments to the original GDD include thumbnail views of screens and snap-to-grid feature, cut/copy/paste, auto object align, and event han-dling, as well as palette support for 1-, 4-, and 8-bits-per-pixel (bpp) color modes.

GDD X brings together key components of the graphical user interface on 16-and 32-bit hardware platforms in an easy-to-use graphics development tool. You can drag and drop GUI elements into place and GDD X creates the C code for your project, resulting in a customized interface with significant savings in development time and effort.

Graphic Display Designer X Console

GDD X is an easy-to-use

graphics development tool.

NEW TOOLS

21

Sabrewing, the first GestIC Single-Zone Evaluation Kit (DM160217), is a com-plete solution for exploring the low-cost,

high-performance MGC3130 3D Tracking and Gesture Controller. It provides you with an in-troduction to Microchip’s recently announced GestIC technology to help you get started on developing your human-interface design.

The Sabrewing Evaluation Board is a ready-to-use system consisting of the MGC3130 refer-ence circuit, an I²C™ to USB bridge and built-in 7” single-zone frame electrodes. The platform features these capabilities:

• Hand Position Tracking in three dimensions (x, y, z) in the space above the electrodes

Explore GestIC® Technology New Sabrewing Evaluation Kit is a Complete Solution for Exploring the MGC3130 3D Tracking and Gesture Controller

• Hand Gesture Recognition based on a stochastic Hidden Markov Model (HMM)

• Approach detection for power savings

It also comes with the GestIC Technology Colibri Suite, which is a set of gestures running on the chip. In addition, Microchip’s feature-rich Aurea Graphical User Interface (GUI), running on the Windows® 7 operating system, provides control of the MGC3130’s settings, making it easy to update and save parameters.

If you would like to explore the possibilities of implementing future human-interface devic-es, you can find more information on both the Sabrewing Evaluation Kit and the MGC3103 at www.microchip.com/gestic/.

Sabrewing Single-Zone Evaluation Kit

Video: Demonstration of Sabrewing Evaluation Kit

NEW TOOLS

22

The Microstick for the 5V PIC24F K-series (DM240013-2) is a flexible and extremely portable USB-powered

development platform. It’s the ideal solution if you are planning a project using one of our low-cost, 16-bit devices from the PIC24 Lite MCU portfolio.

The PIC24 Lite 5V portfolio includes the new PIC24FV “KM” and PIC24FV “KA” MCU families for extremely cost-sensitive 16-bit consumer, medical and industrial applications.

The low-cost and easy-to-use Microstick for the 5V PIC24F K-Series MCUs gives you a quick start to your project development. It includes:

Speed Up Your PIC24 Lite 5V ProjectFlexible and Portable USB-Powered Microstick for the 5V PIC24F K-Series Offers Quick Start to Project Development

• An integrated programmer and debugger for easy experimentation at low cost

• A DUT socket for flexible device swapping

• An on-board user LED

• A reset button

• MPLAB® X IDE support

The kit ships with a 5V Microstick board, a USB cable, and a 28-pin SPDIP sample of the low-cost, advanced integrated, analog, 5V PIC24FV16KM202 microcontroller.

The Microstick for the 5V PIC24F K-Series is in stock today. Order yours through microchipDIRECT or one of our authorized distribution partners.

Video: Introduction to Microstick for 5V PIC24F K-Series Devices

Microstick for the 5V PIC24F K-Series Development Platform

The new 5V Microstick available for$19.99!

Limited time offer

GET STARTEDwith the 5V PIC24F K-series of MCUs!

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Tamper Resistant Nonvolatile Storage with Battery Backed Serial SRAM

Systems such as credit card reader terminals and other point of payment equipment may have data such as authentication keys stored within the system which must remain confidential and secure. The data must be retained when the system is powered down.

The data can be stored in nonvolatile memory such as Flash or EEPROM, which reliably store data without power. The downside of using nonvolatile storage is the reduced ability to detect tampering when the system is powered down. An unscrupulous individual could potentially extract the memory device from the system while it is inactive and “dump the data”.

The degree of tamper resistance required varies by application. Ideally all storage is internal to the system controller preventing it from being removed and read, Also, internal storage avoids an ex-ternal data bus on which communications can be monitored. However, often the system requires more storage than offered by existing controllers or higher endurance than on-board memory. A system can track intrusion attempts using a range of methods, from micro-switches, power grids and “mercury switches” to capacitive, temperature and light sensors. Once tampering is detect-ed, the data is deleted in a reliable manner before it can be inspected. Many of these tampering defenses are relatively simple to implement when the system is powered, but are far more of a challenge when the system is in an unpowered state.

We can increase the difficulty in obtaining this data by storing the data in a battery backed SRAM and designing the physical enclosure so that the backup power is interrupted when the enclosure is opened or dismantled. Steps as simple as mounting a microswitch on the enclosure door to interrupt power on opening will cause the SRAM to lose its data. See Figure 1 on the next page.

Epoxy based potting compounds can be used to prevent probing of the bus. Potting compounds, initially in a liquid state, are poured over the PCB and allowed to harden. Once set they provide a tough insulated layer of controllable thickness. To guard against attempts to remove the pot-ting compound, the PCB can be designed with the backup power passed through a coiled wire

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encapsulated over the SRAM and bus. If a small gauge wire is used, attempts to remove the potting compound via mechanical means will probably result in cutting the wire. Chemical removal is likely to damage the SRAM device package and package leads, leading to an interruption of power. Removal methods are depen-dent on the potting compound used and the removal solvent involved. To increase the difficulty in removing the compound, a grounded coiled wire may be interleaved with the power wire to cause the backup power to be shorted to ground if the solvent attacks the wiring insulation. See Figure 2.

Battery backed SRAM solutions have typically been inconvenient to implement in many applications due to the parallel interface requiring a significant number of

pins. If the system uses a parallel interface for other memory such as Flash, impact is minimal. However, as Flash moves to serial interfaces the cost of adding a parallel interface purely for the SRAM is considerable.

Serial SRAM devices are relatively new in the market place and are available with in-dustry-standard SPI interfaces. They are also available with the dual and quad SPI interfaces used by serial Flash memories. Serial interfaces offer the advantages of reduced signals to be routed which simpli-fies board design. The reduced number of signals and pins on the system controller reduces the area which needs to be potted.

To find out more about battery backed serial SRAM, visit our SRAM Design Center.

Figure 2 - Using Grounded Coiled Wire

Figure 1 - Using a Microswitch on Enclosure Door to Interrupt Power

Easy and Inexpensive RAM ExpansionLooking for more RAM? Easy and inexpensive RAM expansion with SPI Serial SRAM – Now up to 1Mb

8-pin low power, high performance SRAM devices with unlimited

endurance and zero write times

Industry’s largest SPI Serial SRAM at 1 Mb

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The Quick Path to Code DevelopmentMicrochip Adds Advanced Third-Party Code to Embedded Code Source’s Free Offerings; Application Store Further Speeds Development

A re you under pressure to get your prod-uct to market quickly? Do you need a little boost with the software develop-

ment process? If so, visit Microchip’s Embedded Code Source application store and embedded user community to find a wealth of resources in-cluding PIC® MCU software/firmware code examples, tools and utilities, which often include the source code.

Embedded Code Source is the first site of its kind to provide developers with a broad distribution outlet for their premium code. In a recently-introduced second phase of the Embedded Code Source, third-party developers are now able to sell their software. Both Microchip and third parties have already begun selling feature-rich MCU code and MPLAB® X IDE plug-ins for Microchip’s more than 1,000 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit PIC microcontrollers. All developers are invited to add their free and for-pay code to this user community, which has thousands of active participants.

Now you have a single, easy-to-use source for both free code and premium code, relieving you of the need to write code from the ground up. The Embedded Source Code site can be used as a platform to merely share simple code examples or as a dynamic marketplace where you can find advanced solutions for your PIC MCU applications.

So take advantage of this “one stop shop” to help accelerate your designs while enabling more sophisticated and differentiated end products.

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Why Can’t I Get Enough Current Out of This Battery Charger IC?

The increased popularity of portable devices and the accompanying demands for recharge-able batteries have driven the growth of electronics such as the battery protection IC and the battery charger IC. Small form factor products typically target a battery capacity below

500 mAh. In these applications, a low drop out (LDO) regulator based architecture is often used to recharge batteries.

System designers often find that the charge current during the fast charge stage is insufficient and results in longer charge times. This may also trigger built-in timers and premature termination. When these issues were investigated, two common scenarios were found: improper package selection or inadequate thermal design.

In space-limited portable systems, the smallest package sizes should be selected, such as a 5-pin SOT-23 or small DFNs. Using a lithium-ion polymer battery as an example, the fast charge voltage threshold is at 3V (typical) and 5V for the power supply of a portable device. The power dissipation can be calculated as follows for a LDO-based battery charger:

Pdissipation = (Vin – Vbattery) x Iout

Ignoring the internal supply current, the worst case value will be 2V x 500 mA = 1 Watt. The typical thermal resistance of a SOT-23 package can be 230 °C/W. For one watt dissipation, it will heat up to 230°C above room temp, essentially making it not possible to deliver that much charge current.

If delivering less than 200 mA won’t address your requirements, you might select a thermally enhanced package, such as a 2mm x 3mm DFN package where typical thermal resistance value is about 76 °C/W. In this case, it is possible for the package to handle the current. Why then does it still sometimes fail to deliver that much current?

The answer is related to the enclosure environment, making the PCB layout and thermal design of the product even more important. To improve thermal performance, be sure to allow enough copper pour and also apply copper to the exposed pad with vias under the DFN package. This will help draw the heat away from the package and give better charging results.

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Programming Made Easy

Direct from the Manufacturer

Order today and receive three FREE

programmed samples. Offer available for

orders placed through June 30 2013.

www.microchipDIRECT.com/programming

Don’t Let MCU Programming Become an AfterthoughtOrder Your Programming Services from microchipDIRECT

Special Offer Available Only Until June 30, 2013

We all know that microcontrollers need code to make them work, but how many of us consider how we are going to get the hex code into the device when the product design is completed? Many times programming ends up as an afterthought. There are other

important activities in a product design that need to be managed and are just considered more important. Many consider programming to be an “operations” task which does not fall under the project scope or design and leave it to the next department to manage.

We typically advise customers that they should consider implementing in-circuit serial programmng (ICSP) for our microcontrollers via a header of some sort and use a Microchip or third party pro-gramming tool, either as the main programming method or as a backup for in-field reprogramming. However this is not the best method for high-volume programming because it can slow production and the test process adds time and cost to product development.

The most efficient method is to implement a type of batch programming for your product, available through either a third party programming house or microchipDIRECT. Generally, using a programming house can add logistical challenges and increase leadtimes in delivering pro-grammed parts to the next phase of production. When you order your programming services from microchipDIRECT, your microcontrollers are programmed in our factories and then sent directly to you or your subcontract manufacturer so that they can be used immediately. Our fast turnaround adds approximately two days to your product’s leadtime.

Programming services are available for almost all Microchip microcontrollers. In the future we will also be able to program memory devices. In addition to helping you stay on schedule with your project, when you order your programming through microchipDIRECT you can select from the following value-added services:• Ink dotting available in many colors for identification of programmed parts• Customized labels for standard and high temperatures• Tape and reeling after programming is complete

(continued on page 28)

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Pricing for microchipDIRECT programming is extremely competitive, starting at $0.02 per device. And, as a special bonus, if you place an order from now through June 30, 2013, you

will receive three free verification programmed samples. It’s easy to get started—just follow the instructions provided in the left column below. So sign up today and don’t let your MCU programming become an afterthought.

Get Weekly Updates on Lead Times and Inventory:

Are you looking for additional ways to help you stay ahead of the competition? You can sign up to receive weekly updates on Microchip’s lead times and inventory by following these simple steps:

1. Login to microchipDIRECT2. Select the “Lead Time Report E-Mail” link under the “Support”menu3. Choose the Product Line and then the Device Family4. Click on “Add” next to each device you would like to track

Discount PartsUnable to find Microchip parts for an immediate need? Try our microchipDIRECT Discount page for a unique opportunity to purchase in-stock items at a considerable discount. Select the Product and then Device to see our available stock.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about using the microchipDIRECT site.

Follow these simple steps to create an order

for a programmed part on microchipDIRECT:

1. Go to the Programming Center at www.microchipDIRECT.com/programming

2. Click on “New Programming Project”3. Log into your account or create one

if you are a new customer4. Upload your hex code via our secure

encryption process5. Choose your value added services6. Request your verification samples

and provide your shipping details7. We will send you three samples

programmed with your code8. Verify the programming is correct

and confirm online

Done – you have successfully set up your programmed part. It’s that easy!

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Sample Rate Conversion Library for High Quality 24-bit and 16-bit Audio

Sample rate conversion is the process of converting a signal from one sample rate to another without affecting the signal quality. Sample rate conversion is needed as different audio systems use different rates of 32, 44.1, 48, and 96 kHz and replaying the existing

data at the new rate may lead to poor audio playback quality.

Microchip’s Sample Rate Conversion Library provides the ability to convert the sampling rate of real-time raw stereo audio data to select common audio sample rates. The library is designed for streaming audio applications and can be used with analog front ends with limited sample rate capability. The library supports both 16-bit and 24-bit input data resolution.

Algorithm OverviewThe SRC algorithm inter-converts the sample rate of a real-time 16-bit or 24-bit stereo audio data stream. A 1 ms frame containing 16-bit or 24-bit stereo audio samples is processed by the SRC application programming interface (API) on each function call. The size of the input audio data in a 1 ms interval will be 48 stereo samples for 48 kHz input, 32 stereo samples for 32 kHz input, and 44 stereo samples for nine consecutive frames, followed by a frame of 45 stereo samples for 44.1 kHz input. The output consists of a similar number of samples based on the output sample rate.

Figure 1 shows the basic blocks of the SRC algorithm. The incoming audio data passes through an upsampler or an interpolation stage. The signal then passes through an anti-aliasing low-pass filter followed by a down sampler or decimation stage.

Figure 1 - Basic Blocks of SRC Algorighm

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Different designs are used due to the difference in the conversion factors of the supported SRC modes. The 16-bit SRC library is designed for PIC32 microcontrol-lers and dsPIC digital Signal Controllers. The 24-bit SRC library is designed for PIC32 devices with a maximum operating frequen-cy of 80 MHz. A trade-off between the MIPS and the performance is achieved by these different designs due to the limited MIPS availability.

For additional information and to download the files for your device, go to the Sample Rate Conversion Library on the Microchip website.

Key Features of Sample Rate Conversion Library:• Stereo 16-bit or 24-bit audio sample rate

conversion• Common audio modes:

• 32 KHz to 48 KHz sample rate conversion

• 44.1 KHz to 48 KHz sample rate conversion

• 48 KHz to 44.1 KHz sample rate conversion

• Low MIPS and resource requirement• Can be used with low-cost DAC with

limited sample rate capability• Designed for streaming audio

applications for real-time conversion

70 MIPS of Real-Time Control PerformanceThe simplicity of an MCU with the computing power of a DSP

Advanced Motor ControlDigital Power Conversion

Renewable Energy SystemsAdvanced Sensing

dsPIC33E family enables advanced control

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A Modular Approach to Wireless Sensor Network Design

Recently named a Microchip wireless design partner, GrayStone Industries has developed a versatile wireless sensor network (WSN) plat-

form that offers the WSN engineer a modular solution to WSN designs where cost, ease of integration, ease of configuration and environmental footprint are concerns.

GrayStone Industries’ EnviroNet™ WSN platform is based on Microchips’s wireless technology and MiWi™ Wireless Net-working Protocol stack which is derived from IEEE 802.15.4. MiWi Wireless Networking Protocol retains the security and networking capabilities of the specification but mitigates many of the overhead issues and latency limitations that ZigBEE®

and ZigBEE IP® possess. The benefits of using the Microchip hardware and stack are manifested in the EnviroNet platform to make it extremely responsive and robust and offer great link reliability within a network.

The EnviroNet platform offers numerous I/O modules to facilitate monitor and control functions. These include isolated ADC, 4–20 mA transmitters/receivers and 24 V digital I/O. It also offers a host of communications modules that include Wi-Fi®, USB, Ethernet, SPI and RS485.

These modules can be mixed and matched as required on expandable EnviroNet backplanes. Each module within a node is capable of communicating with another node module to facilitate the execution of localized or remote monitor and control events. This communication is managed by the node’s primary control card which also facilitates network communication.

EnviroNet WSN Platform Features• Its modular concept allows GrayStone to work with the WSN designer to develop a WSN

system that is best suited to meet application requirements on a node to node basis.

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• It is supported by comprehensive management and configuration software to facilitate easy integration, configuration and maintenance of the network via the internet.

• It is flexible and expandable. As application needs change, inexpensive changes on a module level can be made to EnviroNet nodes rather than replacing costly nodes.

• It has a small environmental footprint, being small in size and very power efficient. Many EnviroNet WSNs use energy harvesting technologies for their source of power.

GrayStone Industries is a manufacturer of wireless sensors and wireless sensor net-works. The company provides wireless sens-ing and networking solutions to the environ-mental science, sports device, medical device,

defense electronics and telecommunications markets. GrayStone Industries offers technical and regulatory compliant products in the sub-GHz and 2.4 GHz ISM bands for a variety of applications. In addition, GrayStone offers a broad range of engineering design services in the areas of embedded control systems, wire-less sensor networks and RF/microwave inte-grated products to support customer design needs.

For more information contact:

GrayStone Industries 203 Gold Creek Drive Dayton, NV 89403 Phone: 775-315-3524 Email: sales@graystone-ind.com www.graystone-ind.com

A U T H O R I Z E DMicrochip’s Global Design Partner Program provides you, as a customer, a specialized resource that has been technically and commercially qualified by Microchip. The Design Partner Program offers

special support and technical training to keep its Partners current with the latest technology and device offerings from Microchip.

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• Calibration of sound equipment or speakers• Detection of frequency components in a

signal• Generation of test tones for radio audio

level alignment• Radio tuning circuitry• Acoustic equalization and testing

• Creation of harmonics for generating multiple sound frequencies

• Reference tone generation to tune and adjust musical instruments

• Sound card quality control• White noise generator• Hearing test equipment

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Sine Wave Generation Using a Numerically Controlled Oscillator

key requirement in most electrical and electronic systems is the ability to generate and control waveforms at various frequencies. Most common demands for sine wave generation are industrial test setups for providing frequency stimulus, communication

equipment with low-noise requirements, or medical testing devices. Some specific applications include:

Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) is a technique of generating an analog waveform, generally of sinusoidal wave shape from a time varying signal in its digital form and a digital-to-analog con-verter (DAC). DDS is gaining wide popularity and acceptance from the industrial community to achieve programmable analog outputs with good accuracy and high resolution. The tradition-al pulse-width modulation (PWM), which is commonly referred to as poor man’s DAC is often used for this purpose. The PWM method has the limitation of generating arbitrary waveforms in low-frequency ranges, which is overcome using the DDS technique.

To address these requirements, a Numerically Controlled Oscillator (NCO) module can be used for designing a sine wave generator. The NCO module uses the DDS technique for generating waveforms and is available on Microchip’s PIC10(L)F32X and PIC16(L)F150X families of micro-controllers. The NCO module operates on the principle of DDS by repeatedly adding a fixed value to an accumulator. The accumulator is 20 bits in length and additions occur at the input clock rate, which can be a maximum of about 16 MHz. The accumulator will overflow with a carry bit set periodically, and this will produce a transition in the output of the NCO module.

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DESIGN ARTICLE

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The NCO module can operate in two modes: Fixed Duty Cycle PWM and Frequency

Controlled Pulse mode. With such an arrange-ment, the response will be very linear across a wide range of frequencies, ranging from 0 kHz up to 500 kHz using a clock of 16 MHz. The frequency resolution that can be obtained is precise and is in steps of 15 Hz across this entire frequency range. Using a slower clock, one can get an arbitrarily accurate frequency resolution with the range limited to the input clock divided by 16. For example, with a 16kHz input clock, a frequency resolution of 0.015Hz can be achieved up to a frequency of 1kHz.

The linear frequency control and the increased frequency resolution are the key distinguishing factors when compared to the traditional PWM based frequency control. Figure 1 illustrates the internal block diagram of the NCO module.

In a new application note available from Microchip, AN1523 – “Sine Wave Generator Using Numerically Controller Oscillator Module”, you’ll learn how a better frequency resolu-tion over a wide frequen-cy range can be obtained using the NCO for waveform generation when compared to the conventional PWM-based approach. Some of the topics covered include a comparison between NCO

output and PWM output, the principle of sine wave generation using the NCO module, sine wave generation using the look-up table method, and a case study of an intruder detec-tion system using Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) by correlation.

The basic components of an intruder detection system are a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter emits an infrared (IR) signal at a specific frequency whenever an intrusion occurs to a room or enclosed space, and the receiver receives this signal and checks if that specific frequency component is present or

not. This detection process is usually done by implementing a DFT on the received signal. The correlation method of DFT implementation covered in this case study highlights how the NCO module can be easily used to perform this task. See Figure 2 below.

Applications for sine wave generation are numerous, but the use of the NCO is not

limited to generation of a sine wave. By using a proper filter with an appropriate cutoff frequen-cy, any desired wave shape can be rendered to the resultant output. Download the application note to learn more about how the use of the NCO module to generate a sine wave at any desired frequency has many advantages over the conventional PWM approach.

Figure 1 - NCO Module Internal Block Diagram

Figure 2 - Intruder Detection System Using Sine Wave Generator

attendees to discuss relevant design topics, meeting with third-party development tool experts and a simulated wafer fab plant tour. Extracurricular events include a robot race, the ‘build an electronic guitar’ event, a Texas Hold-em card tournament, a FIRST® robotics exhibition match, and sports-bar and video games that are suitable for the whole family.

Registration and Pricing InformationThe MASTERs Conference will be held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. Admission to the conference courses, a USB Flash Drive with all class ma-terials, round-trip airport transportation, and accommodations for three nights with meals, evening entertainment and more are included in the Conference cost of $1,695 USD.

Registration closes on August 5, 2013. All payments are due within 30 days of regis-tration. An Alumni discount of $339 off main pricing, as well as many more discounts, are available on the MASTERs website.

Join us this August for this exceptional event. We look forward to seeing you there!

there are also 43 ‘hands-on’ classes that will give you the opportunity to learn more about specific applications by using development tools and writing code in the classrooms.

MASTERs classes cover the gamut of electronic engineering topics, including con-nectivity sessions on Ethernet, TCP/IP, USB, CAN and wireless (e.g., ZigBee® and Wi-Fi®), graphics and capacitive-touch interface de-velopment, intelligent power supplies, firm-ware development, motor control, selecting op-amps for sensor applications, using an RTOS, DSP and transmitting wireless audio using Bluetooth®.

Based on its overwhelming success at previous MASTERs, a two-day Pre-Confer-ence is also available again this year if you wish to attend as many classes as possible during the week. These classes are also designed for beginner through advanced attendees. For example, “Introduction to Em-bedded Programming Using C” is a two-day, 16-hour step-by-step crash course in C, with practical hands-on exercises.

Other Happenings at MASTERsAdditional activities include networking sessions between third-party partners and

A re you a software or hardware design engineer or an engineering manager looking to increase your

knowledge of embedded system design and your ability to solve today’s most challenging design issues? If you are, the 17th annual Worldwide MASTERs Conference will give you a valuable opportunity to learn more about designing products using Microchip’s wide range of devices and other solutions. Sessions will cover our 8-, 16- and 32-bit PIC® microcontrollers, high-performance analog and interface solutions, dsPIC® digital signal controllers, wireless and mTouch™ sensing solutions, memory products, and MPLAB® development systems—including the industry’s only singular IDE to support an entire 8-, 16- and 32-bit microcontroller portfolio.

Exceptional Learning OpportunitiesMASTERs is an in-depth, bi-directional exchange of technical information between Microchip’s subject-matter experts and our technical partners, including customers, third parties, distributor FAEs and design partners. A broad range of over 100 classes—46 of which are new this year—are available in 2013 for all levels of experience, from beginner to expert. In addition to lecture-based classes,

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Register Today for the 17th Annual Worldwide MASTERs Conference The Premiere Technical Training Event for Embedded-Control Engineers Scheduled for August 19–24, 2013

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