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Microchip Technology Delivers Two 16-Bit dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers With CAN for High-Performance Motor Control and Power Conversion Applications

Posted on: Friday, 17 December 2004, 09:00 CST

Internal Oscillator-to-PLL Connection for 30 MIPS Performance With No Crystal

Microchip Technology Inc.(Nasdaq:MCHP), a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, today announced that it has begun volume production of two 16-bit dsPIC(R) Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) that offer designers performance speeds of 20 and 30 Million Instructions Per Second (MIPS), self-programming capabilities via Flash memory and industrial and extended temperature ranges. The dsPIC30F4011 and dsPIC30F4012 motor control and power conversion family add 48 Kbytes of Flash program memory and CAN capability, and are ideal for power conversion applications and for motor control applications that require higher precision, higher-speed operation or sensorless control.

The use of sensorless motor control is growing because it eliminates the cost and reliability implications of mechanical sensors. However, sensorless motor control requires increased computing horsepower at cost-effective price points. In addition, engineers are moving toward the combination of motors and control in a single unit, placing extreme size constraints on electronic control components. The dsPIC30F4011 and dsPIC30F4012 provide the cost-effective performance needed for sensorless motor control, with form factors as small as 8x8 mm in QFN packages. In addition, these DSCs have a motor control PWM and a quadrature encoder interface that is ideal for electronic control of brushed permanent magnet, switched reluctance, brushless DC (BLDC) and AC induction motors (ACIM).

Microchip's dsPIC DSC combines the high-performance of a 16-bit Flash microcontroller with the computation and throughput capabilities of a digital signal processor (DSP). The dsPIC DSCs have the "heart" of a 16-bit microcontroller with robust peripherals and fast interrupt handling capability, and the "mind" of a DSP that manages high-computation activities, creating the optimum single-chip solution for embedded system designs. This allows designers to integrate functions and save board space.

"These two new dsPIC30F devices mark a total of 10 dsPIC DSCs that have been released to volume production this year," said Sumit Mitra, vice president of Microchip's Digital Signal Controller Division. "Engineers worldwide are designing in the 16-bit dsPIC DSC because it seamlessly integrates DSP capabilities and microcontroller functionality in a single core, providing the best of both worlds."

Microchip's Enhanced Flash self-programming capability features a remote upgrade to the Flash program memory allowing code revisions in end-users' applications. These features provide flexibility, reduced development time, increased manufacturing efficiency and faster time to market.

The dsPIC30F4011 and 4012 are able to operate at five volts, which is valuable for noise immunity and minimizing voltage translation logic. Additional key features include:

-- 48 Kbytes of Flash Program Memory, which can withstand over 100,000 erase/write cycles and has 40-plus years of data retention over a wide operating voltage and temperature range

-- Two Kbytes of SRAM and One Kbyte of high-endurance EEPROM data memory

-- Six Output Motor Control PWMs

-- 10-bit analog-to-digital converter with up to Nine signal channels and 500k samples-per-second

-- Five 16-bit Timers

-- SPI(TM), I2C(TM) and up to two UARTs

-- One CAN Interface

Development Tools and Application Notes

All dsPIC30F DSCs are supported by Microchip's high-performance development systems, including: MPLAB(R) Integrated Development Environment (IDE), MPLAB C30 C Compiler, MPLAB SIM 30 Software Simulator, MPLAB ICD 2 In-Circuit Debugger, MPLAB ICE 4000 In-Circuit Emulator and MPLAB Visual Device Initializer. Two application notes, AN901 and AN908, are posted on Microchip's Web site that provide instruction on how to utilize the dsPIC30F for sensorless BLDC control and vector control of an ACIM, respectively.

Availability and Pricing

The dsPIC30F4011 and dsPIC30F4012 are available today for general sampling and volume production in the package options listed below. Pricing for the dsPIC30F4011 is $7.46 each in 10,000-unit quantities, and the dsPIC30F4012 is $6.60 each in 10,000-unit quantities. For additional information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip's Web site at www.microchip.com/dspic.

-- dsPIC30F4011: 40-pin PDIP, 44-pin QFN or TQFP

-- dsPIC30F4012: 28-pin SDIP or SOIC

About dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers

The dsPIC digital signal controller is a 16-bit (data) modified Harvard RISC machine that combines the control advantages of a high-performance 16-bit microcontroller with the high computation speed of a fully implemented DSP to produce a tightly coupled single-chip, single-instruction stream solution for embedded systems design. All dsPIC DSCs integrate Flash program memory and most have EEPROM data storage. For more information on the dsPIC DSC family, please visit: www.microchip.com/dspic.

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, dsPIC and MPLAB are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. in the USA and other countries. I2C is a trademark of Philips Corporation. SPI is a trademark of Motorola. All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective companies.

Source: Business Wire

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