MCUs cater for graphical interfaces
1 min read
Looking to cater for the growing number of applications requiring a graphical interface, Microchip has launched the PIC24FJ256DA microcontroller family, which integrates three graphics acceleration units and a display controller.
This level of integration, says the company, means system costs can be reduced through the removal of the need for external components.
Chris MacCallum, European field applications manager, said there are eight devices in the family, with up to 96k of ram. "These are all in one parts," he said, "which save board space and cost. There is also a benefit with integrating the display controller because these are hard to get hold of and supply isn't consistent."
Microchip says the parts mean designers can move beyond segmented lcds to devices with up to vga resolution. The mcus also cater for touchscreen applications with integrated mTouch capacitive touch sensing capability.
Despite the fact the parts integrate up to 96k of ram, they also feature a 16bit extended parallel master port which allows interfacing to external memory. "This port is useful for applications with lots of screens," said MacCullum.
The chips come with Microchip's Graphics Display Designer software, which provides users with a Wizard to support display development.
