Farnell element14, the Development Distributor, is now stocking new products from the Microchip 8-bit PIC^® and AVR^® ranges of MCUs and offering customers the chance to win a free copy of the book “This is (not) Rocket Science” with purchases.

“With more than 45 years of combined experience, Microchip has a passion for developing products and tools that make it easier for engineers to solve design problems and adapt to future needs”, says Simon Meadmore, Global Head of Semiconductors for Premier Farnell and Farnell element14: “The current line-up of PIC and AVR MCUs is the pinnacle of innovation in the 8-bit embedded space and incorporates the latest technologies that enhance system performance while reducing power consumption and development time.”

“The PIC and AVR MCU brands represent the two dominant architectures in the embedded design universe.” he adds “With a strong history of innovation in 8-bit MCUs, Microchip’s extensive portfolio has the right product to provide effortless design support for any application.”

Some of the latest additions to the PIC/AVR range include:

• THE megaAVR^® 0-series: The ATmega3208/3209/4808/4809 microcontrollers broaden the effectiveness of real-time control systems with a combination of intelligent hardware peripherals alongside the low-power architecture of the 8-bit AVR processor. Each of the MCUs offer individualized options for pin-counts, packages, and memory and includes a high-speed ADC and easy-to-configure Core Independent Peripherals.

• PIC18 64-Pin Controllers: The PIC18(L)F65/66K40 microcontrollers combine large Flash/EE/RAM memory, rich peripheral integration, XLP and 5V support to suit a variety of general purpose applications. These 64-pin devices deliver Core Independent Peripherals such as CWG, WWDT, CRC/Memory Scan, Hardware CVD, Zero-Cross Detect and Peripheral Pin Select, providing for increased design flexibility and lower system cost.

• Full-featured 14/20-pin microcontrollers: The PIC16(L)F15325/45 8-bit family of microcontrollers feature a range of analogue, core-independent and communication peripherals, combined with eXtreme Low-Power (XLP) for a wide range of general purpose and low power applications.

Farnell element14 is offing exclusive discounts on several 8-bit development tools, all featuring on-board programmer/debuggers, for a limited period.

Customers also have a chance to enter a draw to win a copy of “This is (not) Rocket Science”*, a guide to Microchip’s most recent 8-bit core-independent peripherals and code tools including the MPLAB^® X development system.

Microchip's range of 8-bit PIC® and AVR® Microcontrollers are available to buy from Farnell element14 in Europe.

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, has announced the availability of the Microchip SAM L10 and SAM L11 Xplained Pro Evaluation Kits and associated MCUs. The new devices are the industry’s lowest-power 32-bit MCUs as well as the first to offer chip-level security and Arm® TrustZone® Technology.

The SAM L10 is the industry’s lowest power MCU in this class and allows users to develop secured applications without the battery constraints of less power-efficient MCUs. Its ultra-low power consumption makes it suitable for a range of IoT applications in areas such as wearable devices, gaming controls, energy harvesting, smart pens and low-power industrial sensor nodes.

The SAM L11 additionally features integrated hardware security which allows users to take advantage of the increased security needed by applications such as IoT nodes, remote keypads and authentication systems for smart cities and home automation; industrial automation or medical devices.

“With the increasing growth of IoT end points and the resultant increased frequency of security breaches, designers are looking for MCUs that can help reduce power consumption while adding robust security”, says Simon Meadmore, Global Head of Semiconductors, Premier Farnell: “As the Development Distributer we seek out devices to address design challenges for our customers as they bring their products to market. The SAM L10 and SAM L11 MCU family takes an innovative approach to solving these challenges by integrating a wide variety of peripherals, including security features, into the industry’s lowest power MCU in its class. This allows users to develop secured applications without the battery constraints of less power-efficient MCUs.”

The new MCUs run at 32 MHz with memory configuration of up to 64 KB Flash and 16 KB SRAM. In addition to their ultra-low power consumption, they incorporate an enhanced Peripheral Touch Controller and advanced analogue features. Both devices are available in 24- and 32-pin package options.

In addition to being the industry’s lowest power MCUs in their class with an EEMBC certified ULPMark of 405, the SAM L10 and SAM L11 are built with picoPower® technology and provide flexible power saving modes. They are supported with power debugging and data visualiser tools to monitor and analyse power consumption in real time, helping developers to rapidly optimise their system designs for lower power consumption with significant improvements in battery life.

Designer of appliances, fitness trackers, automotive door handles, key pads or remote controls will benefit from the enhanced Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC), which provides best-in-class water tolerance and high noise immunity. Superior capacitive touch interfaces become easy to incorporate in users’ applications. The interface is four times faster than previous generations of PTCs and provides highly-responsive and accurate touch sensing. It is supported by the QTouch Configurator and QTouch® Modular Library, which make it simple to add elegant touch interfaces to designers’ applications.

The chip-level security incorporated into SAM L11 MCUs is based on ARM® TrustZone® technology to help protect against both physical and remote attacks plus a comprehensive security solution framework to simplify the implementation of security. IoT nodes driven by a SAM L11 provide strong resistance to remote software attacks, thereby increasing the reliability and avoiding any downtime of the critical functions of the nodes. The chip-level tamper resistance will help protect from cloning and intellectual property theft.

Both MCUs are available as development kits: the SAM L10 and SAM L11 Xplained Pro Evaluation Kits. These are fully supported with security, low-power and touch demos to accelerate development and help customers get their designs to market faster.

The Microchip SAM L10 and SAM L11 evaluation kits and associated MCUs are available from Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America and element14 in Asia Pacific.

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, is now shipping the dsPIC33CH Dual-Core Family from Microchip. The device’s dsPIC® Digital Signal Controller (DSC), with two cores on a single chip, allow for easier software integration, benefitting system developers designing high-end embedded control applications with multiple software teams.

Key applications including digital power, motor control and high performance embedded applications such as Automation and control for Industry 4.0 and Industrial IoT and automotive applications.

The dsPIC33CH family is Microchip’s first dual core, 16-bit microcontroller and delivers unprecedented integration in a 5 x 5 mm package. To reduce system costs and board size, advanced peripherals are available to each core including high-speed ADCs, DACs with waveform generation, analog comparators, analog programmable gain amplifiers and high-resolution Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) hardware. In addition, the dsPIC33CH128MP508 has two DSC cores that can run independently.

Key benefits include:

• Simplified firmware development with dual independent cores
• Dual cores and peripheral sets facilitate robust systems and improve functional safety
• First dsPIC33 with CAN-FD for robust communication with increased bandwidth
• Maximum analog integration including high-speed ADCs, DACs with waveform generation, analog comparators and PGAs for increased functionality in less space
• Live update of firmware for high-availability systems, especially important for power supplies

The devices are also supported by Microchip’s customer driven, obsolescence policy allowing users to design without concern for supply longevity.

The dsPIC33CH Dual-Core Family is available from Farnell element14 in Europe and Newark element4 in North America.

Newark element14 has added the Microchip MCP39F511 Power Monitor Demonstration Board, a fully functional single-phase power and energy monitor, to its product portfolio. The system measures active and reactive power and energy, RMS current and voltage, line frequency and other quantities to meet an industry-wide initiative for improved power management schemes and advanced application leads.

Designed for the real-time measurement of AC power, the MCP39F511 power-monitoring IC offers engineers advanced features alongside the popular standard power calculations. The import and export of active energy accumulation, four-quadrant reactive energy accumulation, zero-crossing detection and dedicated PWM output are all included on-chip. The power monitor is ideal for use within high-performance products including smart energy, power meters, lighting and heating systems and the Internet of Things.

The accompanying “MCP39F511 Power Monitor Utility” software regulates, monitors and evaluates the system via a USB connection to the board. The energy meter software utilizes an automated step-by-step process that efficiently and quickly calibrates metrics. It can also be used to implement custom single-point calibration setups.

The Microchip Power Monitor is available for $150.00 from Newark element14 in North America, Farnell element14 in Europe and element14 in Asia. The MCP39F511 Power Monitor Demonstration Board Kit includes the demonstration board, AC line cable, IEC to female AC load cable, mini-USB cable and important information sheet.

For more information about Microchip Power Monitors and other products visit www.newark.com/microchip.

Farnell element14 has today launched the Curiosity development board from Microchip .  On board programming and debug via MPLAB^® X IDE and code generation via Microchip’s MCC will appeal to those new to microcontrollers such as hobbyists, makers and students.

The board’s use of pdip components and access to most pins simplifies actual development for all users, in addition, the expansion capabilities offered by incorporating a MikroBUS^TM Click board header and pads for an RN4020 Bluetooth Module combine to create potentially powerful IoT solutions.

The Curiosity Board, which costs £11.76 also includes various  LEDs, an mTouch button, push-button switches, and a potentiometer.

Power is supplied via a USB connector on the rear of the board. Curiosity is fully compatible with MPLAB Code Configurator as well as supporting 8/14/20 pin PIC MCUs.

Mike McGlade, Channel Manager for Microchip EMEA, says: “With a free IDE and C Compiler, Microchip’s new low cost Curiosity Board is a ‘no-brainer’.”