Microchip Technology Doubles the Flash and RAM of Its LCD PIC18 Microcontrollers, Lowers the Cost.PIC18F85J90 Microcontroller Series Provides Integrated LCD Module, 32 Kbytes Flash and Internal Voltage Controller for Cost-Sensitive Embedded Display Applications CHANDLER, Ariz. -- Microchip Technology  Microchip Technology (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a manufacturer of microcontroller, memory and analog semiconductors, founded in 1989 when Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQin full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on : MCHP MCHP Maryland Children's Health Program MCHP Microchip Technologies (stock symbol) MCHP Micro-sized Combined Heat and Power (American Honda Motor Co. & Climate Energy, LLC) MCHP Maine Community Heritage Project ), a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, today announced six new members of the 8-bit PIC([R]) microcontroller family with an integrated Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD) module. The PIC18F85J90 series doubles the amount of Flash and RAM memory over existing 64- and 80-pin family members for cost-effective human-interface applications requiring embedded control, including thermostats, utility meters and medical instrumentation. This increased amount of memory enables users to add more complex functionality, such as speech playback and larger amounts of self-programming memory allocation Reserving memory for specific purposes. Operating systems and applications generally reserve fixed amounts of memory at startup and allocate more when the processing requires it. If there is not enough free memory to load the core kernel of an application, it cannot be launched. , while taking advantage of the cost savings offered by the PIC18 "J" series' 3-volt manufacturing process technology. The LCD module onboard the PIC18F85J90 series also enables a software-programmable contrast controller. This contrast controller can boost the LCD voltage, dim the display, or compensate for environmental elements like temperature and lighting. These features lower the cost of the LCD glass while improving the display appearance, making advanced LCD functionality affordable to a whole new class of embedded display applications. Other key features include an internal oscillator oscillator Mechanical or electronic device that produces a back-and-forth periodic motion. A pendulum is a simple mechanical oscillator that swings with a constant amplitude, requiring the addition of energy at each swing only to compensate for the energy lost because of air , improved low-voltage performance and more LCD segments on 64-pin devices, which all help to lower the total system cost. "Microchip's Flash LCD microcontrollers offer the greatest breadth of LCD segment drivers, package sizes, and integrated features for embedded control applications," said Mitch Obolsky, vice president of the Advanced Microcontroller Architecture Division. "With the PIC18F85J90's high performance, flexible LCD controller and attractive pricing, engineers are now able to add complex functionality, such as speech playback and LCD contrast dimming, to products that previously could not justify the cost." Example applications for the new PIC18F85J90 microcontroller family with integrated LCD module include: automotive (dashboard displays); instrumentation/measurement (medical instruments/monitors, meter reading, handheld terminal/remote reading); appliance (display/control units on stoves/ovens, microwaves, etc.); industrial (payment systems, water/gas/electric/heat utility meters, gasoline pumps); consumer (programmable thermostats/controls, irrigation irrigation, in agriculture, artificial watering of the land. Although used chiefly in regions with annual rainfall of less than 20 in. (51 cm), it is also used in wetter areas to grow certain crops, e.g., rice. control, home security systems, exercise equipment); communications (handset displays). Additional features include: * 8 to 32 Kbytes of self-programming Flash program memory, and up to 2 Kbytes of SRAM See static RAM. SRAM - static random-access memory * Enhanced LCD module with four multiplex commons and up to 48 segments driving up to 192 pixels * Seven power-managed states, and a 32 kHz to 8 MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. internal oscillator * High core performance of up to 40 MHz at 3V * 10-bit analog-to-digital converter with up to 12 signal channels and 100k samples-per-second * Two analog comparators, internal voltage reference A voltage reference is an electronic device (circuit or component) that produces a fixed (constant) voltage irrespective of the loading on the device, power supply variation and temperature. , brownout A lowering of AC power voltage for some period of time. Brownouts can be very harmful to electronic equipment if sustained for long periods. Brownouts can cause flickering or a dimming on screen, and the computer may experience intermittent problems as a result. See blackout. detect and low-voltage detect * MI2C[TM]/SPI, EUSART (supports LIN) and AUSART AUSART Addressable Universal Synchronous/Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (electronics) communication protocol support * Four timers and two Capture/Compare/PWM Modules Development Tools To reduce time to market, all six microcontrollers are supported by Microchip's standard, high-performance development systems, including: MPLAB([R]) Integrated Development Environment See IDE. integrated development environment - interactive development environment (IDE), MPLAB C18 C Compiler, MPLAB ICD ICD International Classification of Diseases (of the World Health Organization); intrauterine contraceptive device. ICD abbr. 2 In-Circuit Debugger, and the PICDEM[TM] HPC (Handheld PC) A palmtop computer that weighs less than one pound and runs specialized versions of popular applications. Microsoft coined the term for its Windows CE operating system, which is an abbreviated version of Windows. See Pocket PC. Explorer Board (part # DM183022). In addition, the PICDEM LCD 2 Demo Board (part # DM163030) is expected to be available in May to ease development with this series' advanced LCD features. Availability All six of the PIC18F85J90 LCD microcontrollers are available today for general sampling and volume production, with pricing starting at $2.37 each in 10,000 unit quantities. The PIC18F85J90/84J90/83J90 are available in 80-pin TQFP See QFP. packages, while the PIC18F65J90/64J90/63J90 are available in 64-pin TQFP packages. For additional information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip's Web site at www.microchip.com/lcd. Microchip Customer Support Microchip is committed to supporting its customers by helping design engineers develop products faster and more efficiently. Customers can access four main service areas at www.microchip.com. The Support area provides a fast way to get questions answered; the Sample area offers free evaluation samples of any Microchip device; microchipDIRECT provides 24-hour pricing, ordering, inventory and credit for convenient purchasing of all Microchip devices and development tools; finally, the Training area educates customers through webinars, sign-ups for local seminar and workshop courses, and information about the annual MASTERs events held throughout the world. About Microchip Technology Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at www.microchip.com. Note: The Microchip name and logo, PIC, and MPLAB are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. in the USA and other countries. PICDEM is a trademark of Microchip Technology Inc. in the USA and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective companies. Photo and Block Diagram available through editorial contact. |
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