Microchip Technology has announced the release of PIC18-Q41 and AVR DB, the two new MCUs that integrate configurable analog and digital peripherals supported by a mixed-signal development environment. Increased system integration, reduced signal acquisition times, and convenience along with the efficiency of operating in a single design environment are what these MCUs offer.
PIC18-Q41 MCU has a configurable Operational Amplifier (Op-Amp) and Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) with computation and Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs). This helps in addressing the need for signal conditioning in space-constrained sensing and measuring applications like IoT end nodes and industrial, medical devices, wearables, automotive, and lighting systems. The compact 14- and 20-pin packages of PIC18-Q41 MCUs make them a good companion to Microchip’s 32-bit MCUs and other controllers that require analog integration.
AVR DB MCU on the other hand simplifies the designing of mixed-signal IoT systems that often include multiple power domains. Besides, it reduces cost by integrating true bi-directional level shifters. This helps in lowering the cost in a wide range of applications like automotive, appliances, HVAC, and liquid measurement. Other than this, there are three independent and highly configurable Op Amps viz. a 12-bit differential ADC, 10-bit DAC, three zero-cross detectors, and Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) that make the AVR DB MCU perfect for virtually any application involving analog signal conditioning and processing functions. AVR DB is supported by Atmel START, Atmel Studio, and third-party tools (IAR and the GCC C compiler). MCC and START help analog and digital designers easily configure an Op-Amp system for various typical use cases through a graphical user interface with no coding required.
Both PIC18-Q41 and AVR DB MCUs are supported by Microchip’s MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment (MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC) and the MPLAB Mindi Analog Simulator). These offer a compact, cost-effective development board with programming and debugging capabilities.
The PIC18F16Q41 Curiosity Nano Evaluation Kit (EV26Q64A) and the AVR DB Curiosity Nano Evaluation Kit (EV35L43A) are also available along with quick start guides to enable designers to kickstart their projects with ease.
The easy-to-use analog capability to cost-effective PIC and AVR makes these MCUs apt enough to meet the requirements of large-scale IoT systems. These MCUs can be used as a single-chip controller or as an intelligent analog signal conditioning component in a larger system. The MCUs are offered in a range of memory sizes, packages, and price points. The PIC18-Q41 pricing starts at $0.65 in 10,000-unit quantities while the AVR DB pricing starts at $0.95 in 10,000-unit quantities.
