Microchip Technology Debuts dsPIC33 Digital Controller Family
Microchip Technology Inc. (Chandler, AZ), a provider of microcontroller (MCU) and analog semiconductors, debuted its new dsPIC33 family of digital signal controllers (DSCs) for embedded designers who need high levels of performance, memory, and I/O without the complexity of traditional digital signal processors (DSPs). Initially, two dsPIC33 product lines are being brought to market, with both featuring 40 MIPS deterministic performance; serial I/O subsystems, including up to two each of SPI™, I2C™, UART, and CAN; 64 KB to 256 KB Flash; 8 KB to 30 KB RAM; 64-pin to 100-Pin TQFP packaging; an eight-channel DMA; and 3.3 V operation.
The dsPIC33 general-purpose DSCs are suitable for two-way radios, hands-free kits, answering machines, speech and audio playback applications, power-line modems, security systems, and portable medical monitoring equipment. Fifteen dsPIC33 general-purpose devices are being announced at this time, featuring one or two 500 ksps, 12-bit analog-to-digital converters, and a Codec interface.
The dsPIC33 motor-control and power-conversion DSCs are suitable sewing machines, LED lighting arrays, washing machines, access control, online UPS, environmental control, electronically assisted power steering, precision manufacturing equipment, absolute encoders and resolvers, inverters, and electric vehicles. Twelve dsPIC33 motor-control and power-conversion devices are being announced at this time, featuring one or two 1.1 Msps, 10-bit, analog-to-digital converters with up to eight sample and holds for simultaneous sampling; specialized pulse-width modulation for motor-control, lighting, and power-conversion applications; and a quadrature encoder interface.
Selected members of the dsPIC33 family are now available for early-adopter sampling. General sampling is expected to start in the first quarter of 2006, and production availability is expected to be staged beginning in the second quarter of 2006.
