New Microchip Technology Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) Bring Digital Power to Mainstream Applications

Seven New dsPIC® DSCs Slash Cost While Doubling Performance; Adding More Flash
and RAM Memory for Switching Power Supplies

CHANDLER, Ariz.--(Business Wire)--
Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MCHP), a leading provider of microcontroller
and analog semiconductors, today announced the first seven next-generation
16-bit dsPIC® Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) for common, multi-loop
Switch-Mode Power Supplies (SMPSs) and other power-conversion applications.
These devices, offered in the industry`s smallest DSC packages for digital power
conversion (with as small as a 6x6 mm footprint), provide up to twice the
performance at a significantly lower price than Microchip`s first SMPS family.
They feature an "Intelligent Power Peripheral," which includes interconnected
analog comparators, Pulse-Width Modulators (PWMs) and Analog-to-Digital
Converters (ADCs) that are specialized for digital-power applications and can be
software configured to adapt to a variety of topologies. This topology
flexibility gives power-supply designers the complete freedom to optimize for
specific product applications. And, with the dsPIC33`s in-circuit programming
capabilities, common SMPS platforms can be differentiated late in the production
process, saving both time and cost.

"Microchip breaks new ground with this family of digital-power DSCs," said Sumit
Mitra, vice president of Microchip`s High Performance Microcontroller Division.
"Digital power is now offered at price, performance, flexibility and efficiency
levels that are expected to ignite the emerging digital-power revolution."

Industry analysts concur that the market opportunity for digital power is
expected to grow significantly over the next several years. According to Darnell
Group president Jeff Shepard, "Digital-loop control is projected to grow at
almost five times the unit growth rate of the overall power-supply market over
the next five years. By 2013, the digital-loop-control market is projected to be
1.4 billion units."

The seven new dsPIC33F "GS" series digital-power DSCs enable digital control
loops with four to eight high-speed, 1 nanosecond (ns) resolution PWMs, up to
four 20 ns comparators, each with an integrated Digital-to-Analog Converter
(DAC) and one or two 10-bit, on-chip ADCs, providing 2 to 4 Million Samples Per
Second (MSPS) for low latency and high-resolution control. These devices range
from 18 to 44 pins and 6 to 16 KB Flash memory, and are pin compatible with
Microchip`s initial digital-power DSC family. They feature interactive
peripherals that both minimize the intervention of the processor and are able to
handle the real-time needs of high-speed current-mode control.

These DSCs are well suited for AC/DC converters, DC/DC power-converters and
other power-conversion applications, such as embedded power-supply controllers,
power inverters, Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs) and digital lighting.
Additionally, their 1 ns duty-cycle resolution PWMs can easily handle the
precise timing requirements of all switching power-supply topologies, including
the precise synchronous rectifier timing requirements.

"We will use the dsPIC33 DSC in a 6 KW AC/DC server power supply, and find the
PWM and ADC modules very powerful and flexible for switched-mode power supply
applications. It will be the trend for my team to migrate to digital control
with Microchip`s SMPS DSCs in upcoming projects," said Frankie Chan, principal
engineer at Emerson Network Power.

The new digital-power dsPIC33Fs enable full control of the power-conversion
process, via software running on the DSC and through its high-performance and
highly configurable integrated peripherals. With these DSCs, digital power
designers are not limited by analog-control design constraints. Components do
not need to be "oversized" to account for component variation. Component drift
and temperature compensation are no longer mainstream considerations, and manual
tuning at the end of the manufacturing line can be eliminated. Fewer product
platforms can serve a wider range of applications, since they are differentiated
through software rather than hardware. Additionally, new fully digital
topologies provide designers with a new degree of freedom to develop supplies
with improved power density and improved cost effectiveness.

The dsPIC33F "GS" series devices offer 10 modes of PWM operation, including
standard, complementary, push-pull, variable-phase and center-aligned. The
on-chip, 10-bit ADCs have up to 12 input channels and sample at 2 MSPS, with a
combined conversion rate of 4 MSPS for family members with two ADCs. Advanced
sampling capabilities include individual triggers for each of the four sample
and holds, which allow precise individual or simultaneous sampling modes. The
on-chip analog comparators can be used as fault/current-limit inputs for fast
shutdown of the PWMs, externally resetting the PWM periods; and also for
triggering ADC conversions with no software overhead.

The dsPIC33FJ06GSXXX devices have 6 Kbytes of Flash and two PWM generators; the
dsPIC33FJ16GS4XX have 16 Kbytes of Flash and three PWM generators; and the
dsPIC33FJ16GS5XX have 16 Kbytes of Flash and four PWM generators. All devices in
this family operate between 3.0 and 3.6 volts. Additional features include:

* 40 MIPS performance
* Small-footprint QFN package (6 mm x 6 mm)
* On-chip high-speed analog comparators (up to four)
* On-chip, 10-bit Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC)
* UART, I2C and SPI communications
* Internal pin remapping to optimize PCB layout, via the Peripheral Pin Select
function
* Fast, deterministic interrupt responses
* Extended-temperature operation (-40 to 125 degrees Celsius)
* Flexible configuration of ADCs, Comparators and PWMs to handle peak loading
without CPU intervention

Application examples include AC/DC power supplies,Power Factor Correction (PFC),
DC/DC converters, UPSs and power inverters. A host of other applications can
benefit from the ultra-fast PWM and ADC on the dsPIC33F "GS" series devices,
such as digital lighting (including HID) and liquid crystal display (LCD)
backlights.

Development Support

The dsPIC33F "GS" series DSCs are supported by the MPLAB® Integrated Development
Environment (IDE), MPLAB C Compiler for dsPIC DSCs, MPLAB SIM 30 Software
Simulator, MPLAB ICD 3 In-Circuit Debugger and MPLAB Visual Device Initializer.

For advanced development, Microchip`s Explorer 16 (part # DM240001, $129.99)
Development Board can be used with the new Buck/Boost Converter PICtail Plus
Daughter Board (part # AC164133, $89.99). A dsPIC33F "GS" series Plug-in Module
(PIM) is available for the Explorer 16 (part # MA330020, $25.00), which enables
development with this new DSC family. Alternatively, the new PICtail Plus can
also be used with Microchip`s 16-bit 28-pin Starter Board (part # DM300027,
$79.99).

The Buck/Boost Converter PICtail Plus Daughter Board, also announced today, is a
power-supply board that consists of two independent DC/DC synchronous buck
converters and one independent DC/DC boost converter. All of the necessary
power, drive and control signals are presented to board connectors. This board
can control two buck stages, or one buck and one boost stage, via the demo
software running from the onboard dsPIC33 DSC.

All three stages of the Buck/Boost Converter PICtail Plus Daughter Board are
controlled by the Explorer 16 Development Board. The control boards provide
closed-loop Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control in the software, to
maintain the desired output-voltage level. The dsPIC33F DSC provides the
necessary memory and peripherals for A/D conversion, PWM generation, analog
comparison and general-purpose I/O, while excluding the need to perform these
functions in external circuitry.

Additional information is available from Microchip`s online resource center for
fully digital power conversion, available at http://www.microchip.com/SMPS.

Pricing and Availability

The dsPIC33FJ06GS101 is available in an 18-pin SOIC package. The
dsPIC33FJ06GS102, dsPIC33FJ06GS202, dsPIC33FJ16GS402 and dsPIC33FJ16GS502 are
available in 28-pin SOIC, SPDIP and 6x6 mm QFN packages. The dsPIC33FJ16GS404
and dsPIC33FJ16GS504 are available in 44-pin TQFP and QFN packages. These DSCs
start at $1.96 each in 5,000-unit quantities. Samples are available today from
Microchip`s Web site at http://sample.microchip.com, and volume-production
orders can be placed today at http://www.microchipdirect.com or via authorized
Microchip distributors.

For additional information, contact any Microchip sales representative or
authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip`s Web site at
http://www.microchip.com/SMPS.

About dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers

The dsPIC digital signal controller is a 16-bit (data) modified Harvard RISC
machine that combines the control advantages of a high-performance 16-bit
microcontroller with the high computation speed of a fully implemented DSP. Most
instructions require only one clock cycle to execute, and the dsPIC DSC has a
fixed, deterministic interrupt latency, thus allowing very predictive, real-time
performance. For more information on the dsPIC DSC family, please visit:
http://www.microchip.com/dspic.

Microchip Customer Support

Microchip is committed to supporting its customers by helping design engineers
develop products faster and more efficiently. Customers can access four main
service areas at www.microchip.com. The Support area provides a fast way to get
questions answered; the Sample area offers free evaluation samples of any
Microchip device; microchipDIRECT provides 24-hour pricing, ordering, inventory
and credit for convenient purchasing of all Microchip devices and development
tools; finally, the Training area educates customers through webinars, sign-ups
for local seminar and workshop courses, and information about the annual MASTERs
events held throughout the world.

About Microchip Technology

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller
and analog semiconductors, providing low-risk product development, lower total
system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer
applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Ariz., Microchip offers
outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For
more information, visit the Microchip website at www.microchip.com.

Note:The Microchip name and logo, dsPIC, and MPLAB are registered trademarks of
Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries.PICtail is a
trademark of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other
countries.All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their
respective companies.

Photos and Block Diagram available through editorial contact, or
Flickr:http://www.flickr.com/photos/microchiptechnology/sets/72157616016938611/

Video available through editorial contact, or
online:http://www.microchip.com/Microchip.webcontent.provider/Video.aspx?id=en540318

Tags / Keywords:Digital Power, Switch Mode Power Supply, SMPS, Power Conversion

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Microchip Technology Inc.
Editorial Contact:
Eric Lawson, 480-792-7182
eric.lawson@microchip.com
or
Reader/Literature Inquiries:
1-888-MCU-MCHP
http://www.microchip.com/SMPS

Copyright Business Wire 2009