Integration of analog and digital peripherals
Convenient and efficient in a single development environment


Sensor-based Internet of Things (IoT) applications rely on a combination of analog functionality and digital control capabilities to meet demanding requirements such as low cost, small size, performance, and low power.

Microchip Technology Inc. today announced the launch of its PIC18-Q41 and AVR DB MCU families, which focus on improving microcontroller (MCU) integration to address these challenges.

The product family focuses on system integration, combining analog peripherals and multi-voltage operation with peripheral connectivity to reduce signal acquisition time, making it convenient and efficient in a single development environment.

To address the need for signal conditioning in space-constrained sensing and measurement applications such as IoT end nodes and industrial, medical, wearable, automotive, and lighting systems, the PIC18-Q41 MCU features a configurable operational amplifier (Op Amp), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with computational capabilities, and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC).

Mixed-signal IoT systems often include multiple power domains, and the AVR DB MCU features true bi-directional level shifters.r) to reduce costs while streamlining the development process. This capability reduces costs in a wide range of applications, including automotive, appliances, HVAC, and liquid measurement.

The AVR DB MCU features three independent and highly configurable operational amplifiers, a 12-bit differential ADC, a 10-bit DAC, three zero-crossing detectors, and additional core-independent peripherals (CIPs), making it suitable for most applications involving analog signal conditioning and processing.

“Developers can use MCUs as single-chip controllers or as intelligent analog signal conditioning setups in larger systems,” said Greg Robinson, senior vice president of marketing for the MCU business unit. “With our new family of products, developers will experience a unified, seamless development tool experience.”