New 8bit mcus 'industry's most flexible range' claims Microchip

The PIC18F 'K90' and 'K22' ranges are the latest mcus based on Microchip's low power technology, nanoWatt XLP. According to the company, the 'K90' is the first and only ultra low power mcu range to include an on-chip lcd driver module capable of driving lcds up to 192pixels. Both new ranges support 1.8 to 5.5V operation, offer a 12bit analogue to digital converter, and Microchip's mTouch capacitive touch-sensing technology. The PIC18F 'K90' range has been designed to drive large, segmented lcds while consuming very low power. It comes in 64 and 80pin packages, with memory options ranging from 32 to 128KB of Flash memory, up to 4KB of RAM and 1KB of on-chip EEPROM. The PIC18F 'K22' mcus are designed to provide features such as operation from 1.8 to 5.5V, numerous communication channels, 8 to 128KB Flash memory, and peripherals for mTouch capacitive touch-sensing applications. According to Microchip, both ranges are suitable for use in home automation, appliance and industrial applications, as well as the medical and automotive markets. The 'K22' range is offered in 20 to 80pin packages with 8 to 128kbyte of program memory, while the 'K90' range comes in 64 to 80pin packages and between 32 and 128kbyte program memory. All of the new mcus feature nanoWatt XLP technology and sleep currents down to 20nA. Microchip claims that the mcus provide a greater than 50% improvement in active current over previous generations.