Microchip has announced the PICDEM Touch Sense 1 Demo Board (DM164125) for capacitive touch-sensing applications. The easy-to-use board comes with a PICkit Serial Analyzer and the royalty-free mTouch™ Sensing Solution Software Development Kit (SDK). Together, the board and supporting materials provide a complete platform for implementing capacitive touch-sensing interfaces using the highly integrated, cost-effective 8-bit Flash PIC microcontrol...

Microchip announces two new Baseline 8-bit Flash PIC® microcontrollers with non-volatile Flash Data Memory (FDM) in 8- and 14-pin packages. Now offering 64 bytes of non-volatile data memory, an 8 MHz internal oscillator, a Device Reset Timer (DRT), up to three channels of 8-bit Analog-to-Digital Conversion (ADC), and up to two comparators - engineers using the low-cost Baseline PIC microcontrollers now have an increasingly diverse feature set to...

Microchip has introduced the MCP73837 and MCP73838 dual-input, high-current Li-Ion / Li-Polymer charge-management controllers with automatic USB or AC adapter power-source selection. Auto power-source selection from either a USB port or an AC adapter provides the user with increased flexibility for rechargeable battery applications.

Microchip has announced the MCP4725 DAC, said to be the industry’s first DAC to combine 12-bit resolution, and an integrated EEPROM in a miniature, 6-pin SOT-23 package. The low-power, single-channel DAC has a buffered voltage output and is ideal for space-constrained and battery-powered applications found in a variety of markets.

Microchip has announced a QVGA Graphics Solution for implementing graphics display and control in cost-sensitive applications. The new, easy-to-use solution for PIC24 16-bit microcontrollers includes a free, highly optimized graphics library with source code; third-party library support; and the new Graphics PICtail Plus daughter board.

Microchip Technology has announced full MPLAB development tool availability to support today’s launch of the new PIC32 32-bit microcontroller family. The immediate availability of a broad and compatible suite of tools means that Microchip’s current customers can easily make the transition from 8- and 16-bit microcontroller development to 32-bit development. At the same time, designers new to Microchip will find a highly integrated 32-bit to...

Microchip has announced the PIC32 family of 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), adding more performance and memory while maintaining pin, peripheral and development compatibility with Microchip’s 16-bit MCU/DSC families. The new PIC32 family is fully supported by Microchip’s free MPLAB Integrated Development Environment (IDE) which now offers unprecedented compatibility by supporting Microchip’s complete portfolio of 8-, 16- and 32-bit devices.

Microchip has announced the MCP4141/2 and MCP4241/2 non-volatile digital potentiometers. The new 7- and 8-bit devices have an SPI interface and are specified over an extended temperature range of -40 to +125 degrees Celsius. Unlike mechanical potentiometers, the MCP41XX/42XX devices can be controlled digitally, via an SPI interface. This can increase system accuracy, flexibility and manufacturing throughput, while decreasing manufacturing costs. ...

Microchip has announced the MCP1631 2.0 MHz, high-speed Pulse Width Modulator (PWM). The MCP1631 PWM provides a means to close the feedback loop in Switch-Mode Power Supplies (SMPSs) that use microcontrollers for general system intelligence and control. The integration of the SMPS input and output interfaces in the MCP1631, via its high-speed voltage comparator, battery-voltage and current-sense amplifiers, and its 1A MOSFET driver, enable design...

A newly-refurbished laboratory was opened today at the University of Reading – thanks to a £40,000 investment from Microchip Technology Inc.

Microchip introduces the 25AA1024 and 25LC1024 - the fastest 1 Megabit serial EEPROM devices in the industry – along with the 25AA128, 25LC128, 25AA512 and 25LC512 128 Kbit and 512 Kbit devices. Microchip now provides SPI serial EEPROMs across a wide memory-density range (1 Kbit – 1 Mbit). All of the new devices are specified to operate over an extended temperature range (up to 125°C), and provide the performance for which Microchip’s ser...

Microchip has announced eight new members of the PIC18F high-performance 8-bit microcontroller family that take advantage of Microchip’s latest process technology developments, offering lower power consumption, low cost and high-performance operation. The new devices’ low-power nanoWatt Technology features include power-managed modes, an operating voltage range of 1.8V to 3.6V and efficient on-chip peripherals.

Microchip has announced the mTouch solution to provide engineers with a free and easy method for adding a touch sensing user interface to applications using PIC microcontrollers. The software is available for free download from the Microchip Touch Sensing Design Center at www.microchip.com/mtouch and provides full access to the source code, so designers can modify the algorithms and easily integrate them with their own application in a single mic...

Microchip announces it is accepting registrations for its first ever European Microchip’s Annual Strategic Technical Exchange and Review (MASTERs) Conference, to be held in Munich from November 6th-8th 2007. MASTERs is an in-depth, bi-directional exchange of technical information between Microchip subject-matter experts and the Company’s technical partners, including consultants, customers, third parties, distributor FAEs and design houses. T...

Microchip announces ICwiki (www.microchip.com/ICwiki)—a Web site that enables engineers to collaborate and share information related to semiconductor products, applications and best practices. Using Wiki technology, participants can change content on the site and participate in Web logging (“blogging”), voting and messaging. ICWiki is available in several different languages, including English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Po...

Microchip has announced the MCP1703 Low Dropout Regulator (LDO)—a 250 mA LDO with low quiescent current of just 2μA and high input voltage of up to 16V. The new LDO features device- and circuit-protection capabilities including over-voltage protection and thermal shutdown. The MCP1703 also offers highly accurate output-voltage regulation, including +/- 2 percent over-temperature accuracy, helping to ensure smooth, reliable system operation...

Microchip announces the MCP1401 and MCP1402 (MCP140X) single-output MOSFET drivers. The inverting MCP1401 and non-inverting MCP1402 MOSFET drivers are rated for a peak output current of 0.5A, over a wide operating voltage range of 4.5V – 18V. They have excellent latch-up immunity and are available in miniature, 2 x 3 mm DFN and 5-pin SOT-23 packages.

Microchip has announced two high-performance (40MIPS), low pin count (18- and 28-pin) 16-bit product families – the PIC24HJ12GP family of microcontrollers and the dsPIC33FJ12GP family of Digital Signal Controllers. Both families feature Peripheral Pin Select capability, which allows designers to re-map digital I/O – allowing designers to use smaller pin count devices, minimise board space, and optimise board layout to reduce noise.

Microchip has announced an online Lighting Applications Design Centre at (www.microchip.com/lighting). This site provides a wide range of technical tools and resources that designers can use to add intelligence to lighting designs — including information relating to Microchip’s PIC microcontrollers, dsPIC® Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs), analog and memory products, as well as development tools.

Microchip announces six new members of its 8-bit PIC® microcontroller family featuring an integrated Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD) module. The PIC18F85J90 family doubles the amount of Flash and RAM memory available in 64- and 80-pin PIC18 LCD devices. This increased memory enables users to add more complex functionality, such as speech playback, while taking advantage of the cost savings offered by the PIC18 “J” series’ 3-volt manufacturing...