Later today we will announce the winner of the chipKIT uC 32 and chipKIT Wifi shield! Leave a comment on the original contest post with an idea for a cool project. The chipKIT uC32 is available for $34.99 and chipKIT Wifi shield for $49.99 from Digilent.
Tag Archives: microchip
GIVEAWAY: chipKIT uC 32 and chipKIT Wifi shield
Tomorrow we’ll give away a chipKIT uC 32 and a chipKIT Wifi shield! Leave a comment on yesterday’s post with a project idea, and these boards could be yours on Thursday. The chipKIT uC32 is available for $34.99 and chipKIT Wifi shield for $49.99 from Digilent.
GIVEAWAY: chipKIT 32-bit board and Wifi shield
Microchip and Digilent handed over a chipKIT 32-bit Arduino-compatible board and Wifi shield to give away this week. Leave a comment on this post with a project idea, and these boards could be yours on Thursday. The chipKIT uC32 is based on the popular Arduino open-source hardware prototyping platform and adds the performance of the […]
App note: Extending the life cycle of emulated EEPROM in program memory
Some applications require you to store data that wont be lost if the power goes down. Usual solutions involve either using an on-chip EEPROM or external memory devices. This app note from Microchip provides an alternative that allows you to store your data in the programming memory without having the usual low rewrite cycles associated […]
App note: Slave I2C communication and setup on PIC devices with MSSP modules
Here is an app note from Microchip describing how to setup, and implement slave I2C communication on Pic devices with MSSP modules. It also features assembler code for PIC18s and PIC16s. Many devices in the PICmicro family have a Synchronous Serial Port (SSP) or Master Synchronous Serial Port (MSSP). These peripherals can be used to […]
App note: Audio applications using PIC32 microcontrollers
Here is an app note from Microchip introducing the audio-specific features of the PIC32 MCUs. One of the features disused is the hardware SPI module that supports some standard audio communication modes. In this application note, the available audio-specific features of the PIC32 MCU are explored to address these needs. The SPI module supports different […]
App note: Graphic displays with the PIC32
Pretty user interfaces with a PIC 32: As the demand for Graphical Embedded Applications becomes more popular, so does the need for developing cost effective solutions. Many companies today offer solutions involving an additional internal or external graphics controller as part of a system, which may result in higher costs and more complicated designs. In […]
Microchip getting ready to release long awaited PIC18FX550 replacements
Two new future product pages popped up on Microchip’s site, the PIC18F45K50 and PIC18F25K50. These are pin, and probably register, compatible replacements for PIC18F4550, and PIC18F2550, which are Microchip’s most powerful 5V USB devices. One thing we noticed is that the new PICs have high-precision self tuning oscillators, thus removing the need for crystals in […]
App note: Sensorless field oriented control of an AC motor
PIC 33 microcontrollers in the motor control series can implement sensorless field oriented control. FOC is a control technique that works with DC and AC induction motors. It operates smoothly over the full speed range, and has full torque when the motor starts. The term “sensorless” does not represent the lack of sensors entirely, but […]
App note: Low power design guide for PICs
Here is a design guide from Microchip describing low power design with PIC microcontrollers. The document provides theory behind some low power designs, and examples on how to implement them in your projects. Low-power applications represent a significant portion of the future market for embedded systems. Every year, more designers are required to make designs […]
Microchip promotion – PIC24F microstick for $9.99
bearmos draws our attention to a quick deal! “If you’re interested in the PIC24F series (that DP uses quite readily) – MC is running a promotion where you can get a PIC24F microstick for $9.99 (excluding taxes and shipping) if you place an order today or tomorrow (6/29/12). It looks like a decent little board […]
App note: One serial EEPROM footprint to rule them all
Microchip describes how to make CAD footprints that fit several different sizes of serial EEPROM data storage chips. This gives your project flexibility in case the larger footprints can no longer be sourced: For many years, the 8-lead SOIC package has been the most popular package for serial EEPROMs, but now smaller packages are becoming […]
MPLABX v1.2 has been released
Microchip released version 1.2 of MPLABX. We tested it over the last week and didn’t have any issues, but we’re reluctant to move big projects like the Bus Pirate over and find unexpected surprises. MPLABX IDE Features Provides a new Call Graph for navigating complex code Supports Multiple Configurations within your projects Supports Multiple Versions […]
App note: USB Host stack programmer’s guide
A guide to Microchip’s USB Host stack. USB Host hardware lets a small chip like a PIC use USB hardware like flash drives, printers, or in this case any type of custom hardware. This document is an in-depth programmer’s guide for those customers who need to implement their own driver to allow an embedded host […]
App note: Digital compass reference design
A PIC18F2520-based digital compass using magneto-resistive sensors to measure the magnetic field in 3-axies: This application note will focus on a simple, low-cost, hand-held digital compass design using a Microchip PIC18F2520 microcontroller. This compass application can be integrated into your own design, or as a building block in an advanced navigation tracking device similar to […]
3D Model: PIC32-DIP breakout board
Today’s 3D model is the breakout board for the PIC32 microcontrollers that come in PDIP packages. It features a 3.3v power supply, quartz crystal, and a reset button, while all the leftover pins are broken out. Check out our tutorial on how to build 3D models from Cadsoft Eagle board files, as well as the […]
App note: USB/UART/Ethernet/SD card bootloader for PIC32 microcontrollers
A PIC32 bootloader that supports about every update channel possible: UART, USB-HID, USB-MSD, Ethernet, or SD cards. This application note describes how to use bootloader to upgrade firmware on PIC32 devices without the need for an external programmer or debugger. The source code consists of following implementations of bootloader, 1) UART 2) USB device based […]
New scripting tool makes PICkit3 compatible with PICkit2
Microchip released a scripting tool for the PicKIT 3 that essentially turns it into a PicKIT2. Why do that? There’s a huge software ecosystem for PicKIT2, it’s a popular programmer and debugger that’s been around for year. In version 3 Microchip completely changed the PicKIT and made it incompatible with the existing software. The downside […]
App note: Analog sensor signal conditioning circuits
An analog sensor outputs a voltage relative to whatever it measures, as opposed to digital sensors that provide the reading as a number. These voltages sometimes need to be conditioned to be useful. Microchip describes various analog sensor conditioning circuits: Analog sensors produce a change in an electrical property to indicate a change in its […]
App note: Driving analog inputs of SAR analog to digital converters
Here is an app note from Microchip describing how to drive analog inputs of Successive Approximation Register analog to digital converters. Driving any A/D Converter (ADC) can be challenging if all issues and trade-offs are not well understood from the beginning. With Successive Approximation Register (SAR) ADCs, the sampling speed and source impedance should be […]