Microchip Technology (Asia General Manager and Korea Representative Byung-Don Han) has expanded its new portfolio based on the Arm Cortex-M0+, and is actively targeting the low-power, high-performance embedded market.

Microchip has officially released the PIC32CM PL10 microcontroller (MCU).

This new product features a variety of features, including 5V operation, rich core-independent peripherals (CIPs), touch functionality, and safety compliance, targeting high-volume applications such as industrial control, building automation, consumer electronics, power tools, and sensor-based systems.

In particular, the PL10 MCU is designed to provide pin-to-pin compatibility with AVR® MCUs, in line with Microchip's integrated MCU strategy, allowing developers using existing 8-bit-based products to easily transition to higher-performance 32-bit MCUs. This is considered a great advantage in terms of reducing development costs and simplifying design.

One of the new product's key features is a Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) integrated with a 12-bit ADC.

This ensures fast response and high noise immunity in touch applications, and supports stable operation even in environments with a lot of electrical interference, such as industrial environments or automotive electronics.

Additionally, on-chip CIPs handle repetitive and time-critical tasks instead of the CPU, improving real-time performance and reducing power consumption.

The PL10 MCU supports the Cortex Microcontroller Software Interface Standard (CMSIS), which contributes to faster development by enhancing modular code writing and reusability.

Microchip offers developers a wide range of choices with this product family, including support for its MPLAB® development ecosystem as well as a wide range of industry-standard development tools and IDEs.

Supported third-party tools include Microsoft® Visual Studio Code®, IAR™ Systems, Arm Keil®, SEGGER, Zephyr®, MikroElektronika, and more.

It also provides features that increase development efficiency, such as context-aware code generation and real-time product insights, through AI-based development tools such as MPLAB AI Coding Assistant.

This is noteworthy as a factor that significantly improves productivity in the complex embedded software development process.

The PL10 MCU is designed to meet various industrial safety standards, including ISO 26262, the functional safety standard for automotive electrical and electronic systems.

Also 1.8V∼It supports a wide operating voltage range of 5.5V, providing stable performance in various environments such as vehicles, IoT, industrial automation, and consumer electronics.

In particular, the integrated multi-voltage input/output (MVIO) function allows devices with different voltage levels to be connected simultaneously without an external level shifter, reducing system design complexity and cost.

“The PL10 MCUs provide a smooth transition for developers to higher-performance MCUs while maintaining the simple development experience and power efficiency of our existing 8-bit solutions,” said Greg Robinson, vice president of Microchip’s MCU business unit. “Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will introduce a range of new MCUs, from entry-level to AI-enabled devices, to address market needs.”

The PIC32CM PL10 MCU is available for purchase through Microchip's official website, sales representatives, and authorized distributors worldwide. Microchip's complete MCU portfolio and technical documentation are also available on the website.