Advancements in the architecture of PIC and AVR MCUs are said to have optimised these devices for implementing closed-loop control, enabling systems to offload the Central Processing Unit (CPU) to manage more tasks and save power.
The CIPs independently manage tasks and reduce the amount of processing required from the CPU. System designers can also save time and simplify design efforts, Microchip adds, with the hardware-based CIPs, designed to reduce the amount of software that needs to be written and validated.
Both families have features for functional safety and operate up to 5V, increasing noise immunity and providing compatibility with the majority of analogue output and digital sensors, according to Microchip.
Offered in a 3 x 3mm 20-pin QFN package,the ATtiny1607 family is optimised for space-constrained closed-loop control systems such as hand-held power tools and remote controls. According to Microchip, in addition to the integrated high-speed Analogue-to-Digital Converter (ADC) that provides faster conversion of analogue signals, resulting in deterministic system response, the devices provide improved oscillator accuracy. This allows designers to reduce external components and save costs.
Among the CIPs in the PIC18 Q10 family are the Complementary Waveform Generator (CWG), designed to simplify complex switching designs, and an integrated Analogue-to-Digital Converter with Computation (ADC2) that performs advanced calculations and filtering of data in hardware without any intervention from the core. CIPs such as these allow the CPU to execute more complex tasks, such as Human Machine Interface (HMI) controls, and remain in a low-power mode to conserve power until processing is required.
