ICs & Semiconductors

Recognising the increasing market for 8bit microcontrollers, Microchip has added five families to its 8bit PCI and AVR families. In total there are over 60 new devices.

PIC and AVR microcontrollers combine processing power with the ability to easily communicate with other chips and a range of analogue peripherals for configurability without changes to the PCB, said Microchip. They combine ASIC-like capabilities with a simple development experience and can be configured as smart peripheral chips, continued the company. 

For example, the MVIO peripheral, including the AVR DD family can be used in systems which use different supply voltages, for example connecting a 5V microcontroller to a 1.8V sensor. The MVIO peripheral on Microchip’s latest 8bit microcontrollers, including the AVR DD family, allows a single port on the microcontroller to operate in a different voltage domain, which eliminates the need for additional external components and negates the need for level-shifting hardware, said Microchip.

For systems which do require a level of speed and response time that is difficult to achieve with software-based processing, Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) are available across the PIC and AVR product ranges. CPIs can be programmed with MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC) to form a hardware processing chain and create custom peripherals that eliminate software processing cycle times, explained Microchip. For example, a WS2812 LED array, which requires timing to be driven correctly, can be controlled by configuring a super peripheral (consisting of a pulse-width modulator (PWM), a serial peripheral interface (SPI) and the configurable logic cell.

Microchip’s 8bit microcontroller portfolio is pin-to-pin compatible, which allows an alternative PIC or AVR device to be used when more performance is needed or when a customer wants to maximise product availability while minimising redesign requirements.

Microchip offers an ecosystem of hardware and software tools, including its MPLAB X and MPLAB Xpress integrated development environments (IDEs). The portfolio also includes the MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC), which offers an intuitive graphical interface to generate production-ready set up and application code for 8bit microcontroller-based projects.

The latest AVR and PIC 8bit microcontrollers are currently sampling.

http://www.microchip.com

Long reach Ethernet connectivity is added to controllers, sensors and actuators in smart building networks, using the ADIN2111 10Base-T1L Ethernet device introduced by Analog Devices (ADI).

The ADIN2111 is designed for building automation networks. Digital, connected automation equipment enables holistic building management, said ADI, from heating ventilation and air conditioning to occupancy comfort. 

Adding long reach Ethernet connectivity to controllers, sensors, and actuators delivers building management systems insights for more efficient and sustainable building management, said the company. The ADIN2111 is suitable for use within small, power-constrained edge devices. With a power consumption of 80mW, it provides up to 50 per cent power consumption savings. The 48-lead LFCSP, measuring 7.0 x 7.0mm is claimed to save up to 75 per cent in PCB real estate when compared to discrete implementations.   

It has an SPI (serial peripheral interface) host interface which removes the need for a microcontroller with integrated MAC interface, advised ADI. The advanced packet filtering offloads the burden of priority traffic management from the processor via the 16 MAC addresses look up table, added the company. 

The ADIN2111 is designed for daisy chaining data in line and ring networks using existing deployed single twisted pair cabling infrastructure within buildings. This contributes to a reduction in retrofitting costs, added ADI. 

The device includes enhanced diagnostic features to reduce commissioning, installation and system downtime by troubleshooting problems quickly using the real time information on link quality and fault location. It is compliant to the IEEE 802.3cg standard to enable Ethernet connectivity over 1.7km of cabling, in addition to support for ring redundancy and soft real time protocols like Modbus/TCP, BACnet/IP and KNX. 

The ADIN2111 is in full production now and is available in a 7.0 x 7.0mm package.

Analog Devices offers a suite of analogue and mixed signal, power management, radio frequency (RF) and digital and sensor technologies for customers worldwide operating in the industrial, communications, automotive, and consumer markets. 

http://www.analog.com