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October 28, 2025October 27, 2025 by Debashis Das - 3 Comments

Microchip PIC32-BZ6 BLE 6.0, Thread, and Matter wireless MCU integrates touch and motor control

Microchip IC32 BZ6 single chip wireless MCU

Microchip has recently introduced the PIC32-BZ6 family of single-chip, multiprotocol wireless MCUs, also available as RF-certified modules, and designed for smart home, industrial automation, and automotive applications. The module supports Bluetooth LE 6.0, IEEE 802.15.4-based Thread and Matter, and proprietary mesh protocols. For wired connectivity, there are two CAN-FD ports, a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet MAC, and a USB 2.0 full-speed transceiver. Other features include CVD-based touch sensing and motor control interfaces for interactive and real-time applications. As a secure MCU, the PIC32-BZ6 integrates a hardware-based security engine, a secure boot ROM, and encryption accelerators, along with OTA update capability for long-term device management. The microcontroller offers up to 54 GPIO pins, multiple pin and package options (up to 132-pin VQFN), and automotive-grade variants rated for -40°C to +125°C operation. Microchip PIC32-BZ6 specifications: MCU Core – 128 MHz Arm Cortex-M4F with FPU and DSP extensions Memory 512 KB multi-port SRAM (with […]

July 28, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Linux 6.16 Release – Main changes, Arm, RISC-V, and MIPS architectures

Linus Torvalds has just announced the release of Linux 6.16 on LKML: It’s Sunday afternoon, and the release cycle has come to an end. Last week was nice and calm, and there were no big show-stopper surprises to keep us from the regular schedule, so I’ve tagged and pushed out 6.16 as planned. It’s worth noting that the upcoming merge window for 6.17 is going to be slightly chaotic for me: I have multiple family events this August (a wedding and a big birthday), and with said family being spread not only across the US, but in Finland too, I’m spending about half the month traveling. That means that I will try very hard to get most of the merge window done the first week before my travels start, and I already ended upgiving a heads-up on that to the people who tend to send me the most pull requests. […]

April 24, 2025April 24, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments

Microchip launches low-cost, low-power PIC16F17576 8-bit microcontrollers for analog sensors

Microchip PIC16F17576 8-bit MCUs are designed for low-cost and low-power analog sensors. They integrate a low-power comparator and voltage reference combination that can operate while the MCU core is in sleep mode, consuming less than 3.0 µA of current during analog measurements. The PIC16F17576 microcontrollers are equipped with up to four operational amplifiers (op amps) with software-controlled gain ladders, and a 12-bit differential ADC with automated averaging. Key applications include vibration and strain measurement, flow metering, gas detection, cold asset tracking, and motion sensing. PIC16F17576 specifications: Core – C Compiler Optimized RISC Architecture @ 32 MHz Memory and Storage Up to 2 KB of data SRAM Up to 28 KB of program flash memory Up to 256 bytes of data EEPROM memory Programmable code protection and write protection Digital Peripherals 2x Capture/Compare/PWM (CCP) Modules (16-bit resolution for Capture/Compare modes; 10-bit resolution for PWM mode) 2x 16-bit PWM 4x Configurable Logic […]

April 9, 2025April 11, 2025 by Debashis Das - 4 Comments

Microchip SAMA7D65 Cortex-A7 MPU comes in SoC and SiP packages with up to 2Gbit integrated DDR3L memory

Microchip has recently released the SAMA7D65 MPU, a high-performance Arm Cortex-A7 embedded processor designed for HMI and connectivity applications across industrial, home, medical, and appliance markets. The MPU is available in both System-in-Package (SiP) and System-on-Chip (SoC) variants and features various display interfaces, including MIPI DSI, LVDS, and 8-bit Serial RGB interfaces, along with a 2D GPU for graphical acceleration. Memory and storage options include support for 16-bit DDR2/DDR3/DDR3L and LPDDR2/3 memory, optional 1 Gbit or 2 Gbit DDR3 RAM, NAND Flash, eMMC Flash, and SD card. It features dual Gigabit Ethernet with TSN support, an I3C controller, five CAN-FD interfaces, and three high-speed USB ports. Additionally, it comes with various security features, including physically unclonable function (PUF), secure boot, key storage, and cryptographic accelerators for AES, SHA, RSA, and ECC. Microchip SAMA7D65 SoC/SiP specifications: CPU – Arm Cortex-A7 core up to 1 GHz Arm TrustZone, NEON, FPU 32KB L1 I-cache […]

March 29, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

SATURN NITRO – A Microchip PIC32MK development board with Arduino Nano form factor

While Microchip regularly releases PIC32 microcontrollers and evaluation kits, we don’t see that many PIC32 development boards from third parties. The SATURN NITRO is an exception, and the Arduino Nano-inspired development board is equipped with a 120 MHz PIC32MK general-purpose and motor control 32-bit MIPS microcontroller with 256KB SRAM, 1024KB flash, and 4KB EEPROM. The board closely follows the design of the official Arduino Nano board and can be seen as a beefed-up version with a much more powerful microcontroller delivering 198 DMIPS compared to the Microchip ATmega328P 8-bit microcontroller @ 16 MHz with just 2KB SRAM, 32 KB flash, and 1KB EEPROM, and a less capable I/Os. SATURN NITRO specifications: MCU – Microchip PIC32MK1024MCM064 Core – MIPS32 microAptiv MCU core @ 120 MHz with FPU; up to 198 DMIPS Memory – 256 KB SRAM Storage – 1MB flash, 4KB EEPROM USB – 1x Micro USB OTG port also used […]

March 20, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Microchip AVR SD 8-bit dual-core microcontrollers offer functional safety for less than one dollar

Microchip AVR SD family of low-cost 8-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) feature built-in functional safety (FuSa) mechanisms designed to meet Automotive Safety Integrity Level C (ASIL C) and Safety Integrity Level 2 (SIL 2) requirements, both of which mandate redundant safety checks. Hardware safety features include a dual-core lockstep CPU, two ADCs for redundancy, an Error Correction Code (ECC) on all memories, a dedicated error controller module, error injection mechanisms, and voltage and clock monitors. The company further explains the AVR SD MCU meets Fault Detection Time Interval (FDTI) targets as low as 1 millisecond, and its functional safety management system has been certified by TÜV Rheinland. Microchip AVR SD specifications: MCU core – AVR CPU in Dual-Core Lockstep (DCLS) clocked at up to 20 MHz Memory – 4 KB or 8KB SRAM with ECC Storage 32 KB or 64KB in-system-programmable Flash memory with ECC 256B EEPROM with ECC 512B of user […]

March 13, 2025March 12, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Microchip PIC32A is a 32-bit MCU family with high-performance analog peripherals supporting up to 40 Msps

Microchip Technology PIC32A is a new family of 32-bit microcontrollers clocked at up to 200 MHz with high-speed analog peripherals that include up to 40 Msps 12-bit ADCs, high-speed 5 ns comparators and 100 MHz operational amplifiers for smart edge sensing. The PIC32A microcontrollers also feature up to 16KB RAM with ECC, up to 128KB flash, various I/O, and security and safety features that make them suitable for general-purpose applications across automotive, industrial, consumer, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and medical markets. Microchip PIC32A specifications: MCU core – 32-bit CPU @ up to 200 MHz with 64-bit FPU, instructions optimized for speed and program code size Memory – Up to 16KB RAM with ECC Storage – Up to 128KB flash with 64x 128-bit OTP area Peripherals 4x PWM generators with up to 2.5ns resolution 3x 4-wire SPI 2x I2C 3x UART; automated UART handling support for LIN 2.2, Digital […]

February 23, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

New Microchip maXTouch M1 automotive touchscreen controllers support curved displays, physical Knob-on-Display technology

Microchip maXTouch M1 Curved Automotive Displays Knob on Display Technology

Microchip Technology’s ATMXT3072M1 and ATMXT2496M1 add to the existing maXTouch M1 automotive touchscreen controllers and are designed for large, curved, free-form displays, including ones using OLED and microLED technologies. These controllers support up to 112 reconfigurable touch channels (or 162 in ultra-wide mode), enabling touch functionality for displays up to 20-inch (16:9 format) or 34-inch (7:1 format) in size. Additionally, they use smart mutual touch acquisition to enhance signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by +15 dB, ensuring reliable touch detection in high-capacitive environments. The controllers also feature integrated Knob-on-Display (KoD) technology for physical control knobs on touchscreens and low-latency haptic feedback for enhanced user interaction. The controls meet ASIL-A and B safety standards and support OTA firmware updates with SHA-512 authentication for cybersecurity compliance (ISO 21434:2021). All these features make these MCUs suitable for user-friendly infotainment and dashboard systems. Microchip ATMXT3072M1 and ATMXT2496M1 specifications Touchscreen channels ATMXT3072M1 – 112 fully configurable sensor […]