Microchip introduces the industry’s first MCU with integrated 2D GPU and DDR2 memory for groundbreaking graphics capabilities

Microchip announces the 32-bit PIC32MZ DA microcontroller (MCU) family which is the industry’s first MCU with an integrated 2D Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) and up to 32 MB of integrated DDR2 memory. This combination gives customers the ability to increase their application’s colour resolution and display size, up to 12 inches with easy-to-use microcontroller (MCU) based resources and tools including the MPLAB^® Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and MPLAB Harmony Software Framework.

The PIC32MZ DA family bridges the graphics performance gap between MCUs and microprocessor units (MPUs) for customers who want to stay in the familiar design environment of an MCU. The devices provide MPU-like graphics capabilities with the seamless integration and programming model of Microchip’s PIC32 and MPLAB IDE and Harmony software framework. These tools provide a visual graphics design environment, custom display driver creation, graphics libraries and an asset converter that can take a custom graphic and optimise it for their chosen display size.

Features of the new devices include:

• Three-layer graphics controller capable of driving 24-bit color Super eXtended Graphics
• Array (SXGA) displays

• High-performance 2D Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
• 32 MB integrated SDRAM or 128 MB externally addressable SDRAM option

            providing expansive storage

• Ample on-chip Flash, SRAM and connectivity option

The addition of DDR2 memory, a first for MCUs throughout the industry, enables 2x faster throughput and large graphics buffers and/or storage for increasingly complex communications protocol stacks and algorithms. The result is smooth, striking interfaces and fewer product variants in a crowded communications control market.

The PIC32MZ DA family is supported by Microchip’s MPLAB Harmony Integrated Software Framework, MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment (IDE), MPLAB XC32 Compiler for PIC32, MPLAB ICD 3 In-Circuit Debugger and MPLAB REAL ICE^™ In-Circuit Emulation System.

Several additional tools are available including:

• PIC32MZ Embedded Graphics with Stacked DRAM (DA) Starter Kit (DM320010) at $130
• PIC32MZ Embedded Graphics with Stacked DRAM (DA) Starter Kit (Crypto) (DM320010-C) at $130
• PIC32MZ Embedded Graphics with External DRAM (DA) Starter Kit (DM320008) at $140
• PIC32MZ Embedded Graphics with External DRAM (DA) Starter Kit (Crypto) (DM320008-C) at $140

Devices in the PIC32MZ DA family are offered in a variety of package options including a 169-ball BGA, a 176-pin LQFP and a 288-ball BGA for external DDR2 applications. Devices in the family are available today in volume production.

For more information, visit Microchip’s Web site at: www.microchip.com/PIC32MZDA_Main681