Aiming at cost-sensitive applications that need 32bit processing, to run stacks or process audio for example, Microchip has introduced a couple of cheaper MCU families, PIC32MX1xx and PIC32MX2xx, with MIPS M4K cores.
83Dmips is available at 50MHz, with up to 256kbyte flash and 64kbyte ram. “This enables embedded designs to implement functionality which includes digital audio with Bluetooth, graphics and touch-sensing,” said the firm.
To go with this brief, there are two SPI/I2S interfaces for digital audio processing and playback, touch-sensing hardware, an 8bit parallel port for graphics, and a 10bit 1Msample/s 13channel ADC.
For the same reason, software libraries include audio equaliser filters, decoders, sample rate conversion, USB stacks, graphics, and touch sensing.
The chips come in a variety of packages, with 28, 36, 44 pins.
A bit of detective work in the data sheet suggests 2xx devices have an on-the-go capable USB interface, while there is no USB on the 1xx chips.
Operation is from 2.3-3.6V and -40 to +85ºC, or -40 to +105ºC up to 40MHz.
Despite the low supply voltage, some pins are 5V-tolearant.
For more detail: Cheaper 32bit PICs from Microchip
