Microchip Technology Unveils 64-Pin LCD Microcontroller Capable of Driving 168 LCD Segments.CHANDLER, Ariz. -- Cost-Effective PIC(R) Microcontroller Provides Flash Reprogrammability, Integrated LCD Module and nanoWatt Technology Microchip Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: 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 the PIC16F946 PIC(R) microcontroller with an integrated Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD) module. The combination of LCD module, lower power consumption and the high level of peripheral integration reduces the total system cost in many consumer applications. The PIC16F946 adds to Microchip's LCD PIC microcontroller family, providing easy access to varying pin counts and levels of performance, and support for a wide selection of LCD segments. The PIC16F946 LCD PIC microcontroller features nanoWatt Technology, which meets industry low-power design requirements -- including the need to drive LCD displays in standby conditions. Integrated peripherals include: high-endurance data EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) A rewritable memory chip that holds its content without power. Although EEPROMs spawned flash memory, EEPROMs are byte addressable at the write level, whereas flash chips must erase a block of bytes before rewriting. , a stable 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 , a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter, serial communications peripherals and the ability to implement a low-power real-time clock. "With this introduction, Microchip's LCD PIC microcontroller family continues to provide an industry-leading number of cost-effective and programmable options on a common platform," said Steve Drehobl, vice president of Microchip's Security, Microcontroller and Technology Development Division. "The high level of integration for the PIC16F946 enables design engineers to develop cost-effective compact solutions with ease." Example applications for the new PIC16F946 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); industrial (payment systems, water/gas/electric/heat utility meters, gasoline pumps); consumer (universal remote controls, 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); and communications (handset displays). Additional key features include: --14 Kbytes of Flash program memory, 336 Bytes of RAM and 256 Bytes of data EEPROM --Reliable low-power operation with 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. Reset (BOR BOR Borough BOR Board Of Regents BOR Bureau Of Reclamation BOR Bill of Rights BOR Biology Of Reproduction (journal) BOR Borealis BOR Board Of Review BOR Beats of Rage (video game) ), extended Watchdog Timer (WDT WDT Watch Dog Timer (embedded systems) WDT warning and display terminal (US DoD) WDT Western (Europe) Daylight Time (GMT+0100) ), Programmable Low Voltage Detect (PLVD) and nanoWatt power-management modes --Enhanced LCD module with four multiplex commons and up to 42 segment drivers --High-stability, 8 MHz internal oscillator --5 MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second) The execution speed of a computer. For example, .5 MIPS is 500,000 instructions per second; 100 MIPS is a hundred million instructions per second. core performance --10-bit analog-to-digital converter with up to 8 signal channels --Two analog comparators --SPI(TM), I2C(TM) and AUSART AUSART Addressable Universal Synchronous/Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (electronics) communication protocol support --Three timers and two Capture/Compare/PWM Modules Development Tools To reduce time to market, the PIC16F946 is 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 ICD ICD International Classification of Diseases (of the World Health Organization); intrauterine contraceptive device. ICD abbr. 2 In-Circuit Debugger, and MPLAB ICE 2000 In-Circuit Emulator. The PICDEM(TM) LCD Demo Board (part # DM163028) and the LCD Daughter Board (part # MA160011) are also available to ease development with this microcontroller's advanced LCD features. In addition, Microchip created an online design center to aid in the development of utility-metering products: http://www.microchip.com/meter. Availability The PIC16F946 LCD microcontroller is available today for general sampling and volume production in a 64-pin TQFP See QFP. package. For pricing or additional information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip's Web site at www.microchip.com/lcd. About Microchip Technology Microchip Technology Inc. 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, Ariz., Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip Web site at www.microchip.com. Note: The Microchip name and logo, PIC, and MPLAB are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. in the United States and other countries. PICDEM is a trademark of Microchip Technology Inc. in the United States and other countries. I2C is a trademark of Philips Corp. SPI is a trademark of Motorola. All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective companies. Photo, Pricing and Block Diagram available through editorial contact |
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