8-bit Microcontrollers With Integrated Ethernet Peripheral Optimised for Embedded Applications

By integrating a 10BASE-T Ethernet controller onto a 10 MIPS PIC18 microcontroller with up to 128 Kbytes of Flash program memory, Microchip is providing embedded systems designers with a simple, cost-effective single-chip remote-communication solution for a wide range of applications. Microchip also offers a free TCP/IP software stack to reduce development time.

Ethernet is the leading networking technology for local area networks (LANs), and it can be used to connect embedded devices through a LAN to the Internet. Ethernet’s infrastructure, performance, interoperability, scalability and ease of development have made it a standard choice for such embedded communications.

Any embedded application that requires Ethernet connectivity can take advantage of the new nine-member PIC18F97J60 microcontroller family. Such applications can include Industrial Automation (e.g. Industrial Control, Power-Supply Monitoring, Network/Server Monitoring and Environmental Monitoring); Building Automation (e.g. Fire & Safety, Access Control, Security Panels, Lighting Control and VoIP Intercoms); Commercial Control (e.g. Kitchen Appliances, Drink Dispensers, Hotel Minibars and POS Terminals) and even Home Control (e.g. Security and Networked Appliances).

The PIC18F97J60 PICDEM.net 2 Development Board (part # DM163024) has been created specifically to assist development with these new integrated devices. In addition, the latest version of Microchip’s free PIC18 TCP/IP Ethernet Stack can be downloaded at www.microchip.com/tcpip. The new family is also supported by Microchip’s world-class suite of development tools, including the MPLAB® VDI Visual Device Initializer, Application Maestro software, MPLAB C18 C compiler and the MPLAB ICD 2 in-circuit debugger.

The 100-pin PIC18F97J60/96J65/96J60, the 80-pin PIC18F87J60/86J65/86J60 and the 64-pin PIC18F67J90/66J65/66J60 are all offered in RoHS-compliant TQFP packages.