Winter 2012

LED DESIGN ENERGY WEARABLE DIGITAL AUDIOPRECISION

March/April 2014

The Microchip name and logo, the Microchip logo, dsPIC, FlashFlex, KEELOQ, KEELOQ logo, MPLAB, PIC, PICmicro, PICSTART, PIC32 logo, rfPIC, SST, SST Logo, SuperFlash and UNI/O are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. FilterLab, Hampshire, HI-TECH C, Linear Active Thermistor, MTP, SEEVAL and The Embedded Control Solutions Company are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. Silicon Storage Technology is a registered trademark of Microchip Technology Inc. in other countries.Analog-for-the-Digital Age, Application Maestro, BodyCom, chipKIT, chipKIT logo, CodeGuard, dsPICDEM, dsPICDEM.net, dsPICworks, dsSPEAK, ECAN, ECONOMONITOR, FanSense, HI-TIDE, In Circuit Serial Programming, ICSP, Mindi, MiWi, MPASM, MPF, MPLAB Certified logo, MPLIB, MPLINK, mTouch, Omniscient Code Generation, PICC, PICC-18, PICDEM, PICDEM.net, PICkit, PICtail, REAL ICE, rfLAB, Select Mode, SQI, Serial Quad I/O, Total Endurance, TSHARC, UniWinDriver, WiperLock, ZENA and Z-Scale are trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries.SQTP is a service mark of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. GestIC and ULPP are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Germany II GmbH & Co. & KG, a subsidiary of Microchip Technology Inc., in other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective companies. 2014, Microchip Technology Incorporated, All Rights Reserved.

ContentsDESIGN ARTICLES17 Design in Color20 Low Noise for Great Sound22 Filtering Digital Audio24 Lighting the Way to

LED Design

FEATURES13 GestIC Technology Wins

11 Global Awards15 Spring into Savings25 Filling Up Your Cart

SHOWCASE 4 Do You See the Light?

LED-based designs deliver full-color lighting to a spectrum of applications and venues

NEW PRODUCTS 5 More Precise

Latest additions to 8-bit PIC microcontroller portfolio feature three high-resolution 16-bit PWMs in 8-pin packages

7 Safety FirstPIC16(L)F161X family integrates fault-detecting hardware features to assist in developing safety-critical applications

9 Balance of PowerEnergy-measurement Analog Front Ends offer high accuracy for 3-phase smart meters and multiple-load power monitoring

10 Flexibility to InnovateNew cost-effective 8-bit PIC microcontroller family offers Intelligent Analog and Core Independent Peripherals

12 Ready to WearIndustrys lowest power projected-capacitive touch controllers maximize battery life in wearable and other cost-sensitive applications

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March/April 2014

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Illuminating the Path to Innovation

You'll notice right away that lighting is the predominant topic in this issue of MicroSolutions. While our articles focus on the rapidly-developing LED sector, we want you to know that our large array of 8-, 16-, 32-bit PIC microcontrol-lers, analog, wireless, and human interface products can enhance any lighting appli-cation you are currently developingfrom traditional incandescent to the latest LED and fluorescent technologiesto expand your product's capabilities, enable product differentiation and improve user experience.

Our advanced lighting solutions allow you to incorporate non-traditional capabilities into your lighting designs. Features such as predictive failure and maintenance, energy monitoring, color and temperature maintenance, and remote communications and control can be added to your design to significantly reduce operating, maintenance and energy costs.

Adding intelligence to lighting control applications allows you to offer innovative designs which feature energy management and harvesting (i.e. solar), ambient light compensation and occupancy or motion sensing. Or you can create lighting networks that communicate locally as well as to remote locations. Lighting can also be integrat-ed into other system topologies such as security systems or automation and control. You can also develop custom mood lighting designs which can vary brightness, color, and color temperature across large lighting arrays.

The design possibilities are only limited by your imagination, and we offer plenty of resources and support to bring your lighting designs to life. To get started, just visit the Intelligent Lighting & Control area of our website.

As always, we would be happy to get your feedback on MicroSolutions. Feel free to email us at MSFeedback@microchip.com.

SHOWCASE

4

Rapid developments in the Light Emitting Diode (LED) market have taken place, resulting in significant growth over the past several years. LEDs offer excellent color saturation, energy savings and the opportuni-ty to add intelligence for applications that go beyond simple incandescent light bulb replace-ment. However, along with their many advan-tages, LEDs also present designers with some technical challenges. Our Intelligent Lighting and Control solutions can help you success-fully overcome the challenges and give you the flexibility to design creative LED lighting applications and products.

White and fixed-color LEDs have already successfully staked their claim in a wide range of lighting applications. To keep up with the latest trends, designers are now looking for a solution that allows them to accurately mix combinations of red, green and blue (RGB) lights for new applications in architectural, entertainment, automotive, outdoor facade, decorative, signage and interior lighting.

Offering a wide array of products with highly integrated peripherals, PIC microcontrollers (MCUs) can bring cost-effective intelligence to nearly any application. Our recently-announced general purpose 8-pin PIC12F1572 (see the

Do You See the Light?LED-based Designs Deliver Full-Color Lighting to a Spectrum of Applications and Venues

Add Cost-Effective Intelligent Control for LED Color Mixing to Your Lighting Application

article on page 5) provides a flexible platform for creating intelligent solutions for a variety of applications including home appliances, motor control, power conversion and lighting.

Leveraging the capabilities of the PIC12F1572, our new RGB Color Mixing Demonstration will provide you with a detailed insight into color mixing theory and shows how PIC MCUs can provide intelligent color mixing for LED light-ing applications. The demonstration board also incorporates a color control slider with mTouch technology, a PIC16F1455 to add

USB connectivity for the PC chromaticity selector GUI and an MCP1640 Boost DC/DC Regulator.

These devices control a Cree RGB LED, allowing the color mixing demonstration to offer two modes of operation designed to produce a range of colors that appear on the CIE1931 XY chromaticity chart. Read more about this in the separate RGB Color Mixing Demonstration article on page 17.

If you are looking to add color mixing or other intelligence to your next embedded lighting project, visit the Intelligent Lighting & Control area on our website or contact your local Microchip sales office to learn more.

Along with their many advantages, LEDs present

designers with some technical challenges.

NEW PRODUCT

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PIC12F157X MCUs are well-suited for applications needing high PWM resolution.

Would you like to add increased precision for drive and control to your cost-sensitive applications? The latest additions to our 8-bit PIC microcon-troller (MCU) portfolio bring you high-end capa-bilities packed into lower pin count devices for designs requiring accurate drive control includ-ing high resolution RGB color mixing for LED lighting, stepper motor and battery charging applications. The PIC12(L)F157X family offers a set of Core Independent Peripherals to take its 8-bit MCU performance to a new level and increase the capability of any control system.

Devices in this family of products have three full-featured 16-bit PWMs with independent timers. In addition to standard and center-aligned PWM output modes, the PWM peripheral also has four compare modes and can serve as an additional 16-bit timer. The Complementary Waveform Generator (CWG), in combination with the 16-bit PWMs, can be used to create half-bridge and full-bridge drive control.

The CWG is a powerful waveform generator, which can generate complementary waveforms with fine control of key parameters such as polarity, dead band and emergency shutdown

More PreciseLatest Additions to 8-Bit PIC Microcontroller Portfolio Feature Three High-Resolution 16-bit PWMs in 8-pin Packages

New PIC12(L)F157X Family Provides Precision Drive Capability in a Small Form Factor

states. It provides a cost-effective solution, saving both board space and component cost when driving FETs in motor-control and power-conversion applications.

The CWG and 16-bit PWM Core Independent Peripherals are combined with the analog fea-tures of the 10-bit ADCs, comparator and 5-bit DAC analog peripherals to enable closed-loop feedback and control. This cost-effective in-tegration of analog and digital functionality makes the PIC12F157X MCUs well suited for a wide range of consumer, industrial, auto-

motive and general-pur-pose applications, such as indoor/outdoor LED lighting, electric razors,

radio-controlled toys and interior automotive LED lighting.

The PIC12F1572 enables communication with a EUSART at the lowest price point in the PIC MCU portfolio. The addition of the EUSART enables general-purpose serial communication and LIN for automotive and industrial control. The integrated 10-bit ADCs enable human interface/touch applications using Microchips capacitive mTouch sensing solution. Additionally, the PIC12F157X offers non-volatile data storage via High Endurance Flash (HEF) memory.

The PIC12F1572 enables communication

with a EUSART.

(continued on page 6)

Development Kit (DM163045). Our RGB Badge Demonstration Platform and AN1562 High Resolution RGB LED Color Mixing Application Note are also available to assist you in designing lighting applications using these devices.

The PIC12(L)F157X family is loaded with the features you need to add high-precision 16-bit PWM drive and closed-loop control capabilities to your next design. Devices are available from Microchips worldwide distribution network or they can be ordered from microchipDIRECT.

For battery-powered applications, the LF versions feature low-power technology for active currents of less than 35 A/MHz and sleep currents down to 20 nA.

Development SupportMicrochips full suite of development tools support the PIC12F157X MCUs, includ-ing the MPLAB X Integrated Develop-ment Environment (IDE), PICkit 3 In-Circuit Debugger (PG164130), PICkit 3 Low Pin Count Demo Board (DM164130-9), MPLAB ICD 3 In-Circuit Debug-ger (DV164035) and PICDEM Lab

Design In ColorINTELLIGENT COLOR MIXING

WITH THE PIC12F1572

A richly featured, low-cost solution for lighting applications

Advanced LED Color Mixing with 16-bit PWMs

Integrated mTouch Sensing Capability

Equipped with On-board Serial Communications

NEW PRODUCT

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NEW PRODUCT

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The PIC16(L)F161X family saves board space and component cost.

Implementing safety and control in an embedded system often requires the use of extensive code and additional components, increasing the complexity of a design. Our new PIC16(L)F161X family can help alleviate that complexity with its specialized and flexible fea-tures that will help speed your time to market while also reducing your system cost.

The peripheral-rich, low-pin-count devices in this microcontroller family offer an expanded set of our Core Independent Peripherals (CIP), which offload timing-critical and core-inten-sive tasks from the CPU, allowing it to focus on other application tasks. Fault-detecting hardware features are also integrated to assist you in the development of safety-critical applications.

The PIC16(L)F161X family offers a variety of key features, including a Windowed Watchdog Timer (WWDT), which monitors proper soft-ware operation within predefined limits to im-prove reliability. The Cyclic Redundancy Check with Memory Scan (CRC/SCAN) detects and scans memory for corrupted data. A Hardware Limit Timer (HLT) is included to detect hard-ware fault conditions (stall, stop, etc.), simpli-fying closed-loop-control applications. These

Safety FirstPIC16(L)F161X Family Integrates Fault-Detecting Hardware Features to Assist in Developing Safety-Critical Applications

Peripheral-Rich MCUs Feature 8- and 14-pin Packages with eXtreme Low Power Technology, Adding Design Flexibility and Simplification While Reducing Cost

peripherals make it easier for you to implement safety standardssuch as UL and class Bor fail-safe operation. In addition to the HLT, the PIC16(L)F161X features the unique, 24-bit Signal Measurement Timer (SMT). The SMT performs high-resolution measurements of any digital signal, in hardware, resulting in more precise and accurate measurements. This is ideal for speed control, range finding and RPM indicators. Using both timers allows you to elim-inate the need for additional code and external components in your design.

This high level of integration makes these MCUs suitable for a broad range of applications includ-

ing monitoring and fail-safe systemssuch as indus-trial machinery and power suppliesand products like

fans and home appliances with variable-speed motor control. These are the first PIC MCUs to offer hardware Zero Cross Detect (ZCD), which is essential if you are looking to simplify TRIAC control and increase system robustness by min-imizing the EMI caused by switching transients.

A Complementary Waveform Generator (CWG), comparators, 10-bit ADC, 8-bit DAC and Capture/Compare PWM are also inte-grated to enable design flexibility and overall

These MCUs offer an expanded set of our Core Independent Peripherals.

(continued on page 8)

Development SupportThe PIC16(L)F161X family is supported by our standard suite of world-class development tools, including the MPLAB ICD 3 (DV164035) and PICkit 3 (PG164130) programmer/debuggers, along with the PICkit 3 Low Pin Count Demo Board (DM164130-9).

Devices from the PIC16(L)F161X family are available from Microchips worldwide distribution network or they can be ordered from microchipDIRECT.

cost reduction. The CWG can generate complementary waveforms with fine control of key parameters such as polarity, dead band and emergency-shutdown states. It pro-vides a cost-effective solution for half-bridge and full-bridge drive control, which saves both board space and component cost when driving FETs in motor-control and power-con-version applications. All of these features are provided in small-form-factor packages, ranging from 8 to 14 pins.

SAFETY FIRSTHighly functional low-pin countMCUs for your safety-critical design

WITH THE PIC16F161X FAMILY

Integrated CRC/SCAN hardware designed to ensure fail-safe operation Core Independent Peripherals for code-free closed loop control Configurable Analog modules for advanced signal conditioning and measurement

CLICK TO LEARN MORE

NEW PRODUCT

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Two extra ADCs enable the

monitoring of more sensors with one chip.

NEW PRODUCT

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The MCP3913 and MCP3914 offer industry-leading accuracy.

As the energy-metering infrastructure is being upgraded worldwide, designers are demanding increased Analog Front End (AFE) accuracy, performance and flexibil-ity to develop the latest gener-ation of smart meters. These features are also required by the designers of advanced pow-er-monitoring systems for appli-cations such as server power supplies and power distribution units, uninter-ruptible power supplies, smart power strips and data-acquisition products in the industrial and commercial markets.

Our two newest AFEs improve application performance with their industry-leading accu-racy, while providing the flexibility to adjust the data rate to optimize each applications rate of performance versus power consumption.

The MCP3913 and MCP3914 integrate six and eight 24-bit, delta-sigma Analog-to-Dig-ital Converters (ADCs), respectively, with 94.5 dB SINAD, 106.5 dB THD and 112 dB SFDR for high-accuracy signal acquisition and higher-performing end products.

Balance of PowerEnergy-Measurement Analog Front Ends Offer High Accuracy for 3-Phase Smart Meters and Multiple-Load Power Monitoring

AFEs Integrate up to Eight 24-bit ADCs with Programmable Data Rate and Industry-Leading Accuracy of 94.5 dB SINAD, 106.5 dB THD and 112 dB SFDR

The MCP3914s two extra ADCs enable the monitoring of more sensors with one chip, lowering cost and size. Additionally, the pro-grammable data rate of up to 125 ksps with

low-power modes allows de-signers to scale down for better power consumption or to use higher data rates for advanced signal analysis such as calcu-lating harmonic content. These

AFEs also feature a CRC-16 checksum and register-map lock, for increased robustness.

Development SupportTwo new tools are available to aid in the development of energy systems using the MCP3913 and MCP3914 AFEs: the MCP3913 Evaluation Board (ADM00522) and MCP3914 Evaluation Board (ADM00523).

The MCP3913 and MCP3914 AFEs make it easier to design high-accuracy energy measurement systems for 3-phase meter-ing and multiple-load monitoring. They are available now from Microchips worldwide distribution network or they can be ordered from microchipDIRECT.

NEW PRODUCT

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The PIC16F170X/171X offer eXtreme Low Power (XLP) performance at cost-effective price points.

Combining a rich set of intelligent analog and core independent peripherals, along with eXtreme Low Power (XLP) performance at cost-effective price points, the new PIC16(L)F170X and PIC16(L)F171X family of 8-bit MCUs are well suited to reduce design complexity and cost for a wide variety of general-purpose applications. The 11-member PIC16F170X/171X family of MCUs integrate two op amps to drive analog control loops, sensor amplification and basic signal con-ditioning, while reducing system cost and board space.

These new devices also offer built-in Zero Cross Detect (ZCD) to simplify TRIAC control and mini-mize the EMI caused by switching transients. Additionally, these are the first PIC16 MCUs with Peripheral Pin Select, a pin-mapping feature that gives you the flexibility to designate the pinout of many peripheral func-tions. The PIC16F170X/171X are general-pur-pose MCUs that are ideal for a broad range of applications, such as home appliances, power tools and electric razors in the consumer market; blood-pressure meters, blood-glucose meters and pedometers in the portable medical market; LED lighting; battery charging; power supplies and motor control.

Flexibility to InnovateNew Cost-Effective 8-bit PIC Microcontroller Family Offers Intelligent Analog and Core Independent Peripherals

PIC16F170X/171X MCUs Reduce Design Complexity and System BOM Cost with Integrated Op Amps, Zero Cross Detect and Peripheral Pin Select

The PIC16F170X/171X family features Core Independent Peripherals such as the Configu-rable Logic Cell (CLC), Complementary Output Generator (COG) and Numerically Controlled Oscillator (NCO). These self-sustaining pe-ripherals take 8-bit PIC MCU performance to a new level as they are designed to handle tasks with no code or supervision from the CPU to maintain operation. As a result, they simplify the implementation of complex control systems and give you the flexibility to innovate.

The COG peripheral is a powerful waveform generator that can generate complementary

waveforms with fine control of key parameters, such as phase, dead-band, blank-ing, emergency shut-down states and error-recovery

strategies. It provides a cost-effective solution, saving both board space and component cost when driving FETs in half- and full-bridge drivers for control and power-conversion applications, for example. The NCO is a programmable pre-cision linear frequency generator, ranging from less than 1 Hz to greater than 500 kHz. It offers a step up in performance, while simplifying designs requiring precise linear frequency con-trol, such as lighting control, tone generators, radio-tuning circuitry and fluorescent ballasts.

These self-sustaining peripherals take 8-bit PIC MCU performance

to a new level.

(continued on page 11)

When you need a flexible solution to create a new and innovative design, check out the PIC16F170X/171X family. Contact your local Microchip sales representative to get the latest details on ordering samples and production availability. .

PICDEM 2 Plus Demonstration Board (DM163022-1). The MPLAB Code Configurator is a free tool that gen-erates seamless, easy-to-understand C code that is inserted into your project. It currently supports the PIC16F1704/08, and is expected to support the PIC16F1713/16 in April, along with all remaining MCUs in this family soon thereafter.

If you need additional assistance with your project, we offer several online design centers that provide resources for working with the Core Independent Peripherals and Intelligent Analog integrated on these 8-bit MCUs, as well as design centers to assist in the creation of Intelligent Light-ing and Home Appliance applications. Our engineers have also written tech briefs to help you get the most out of the Zero Cross Detect and Peripheral Pin Select features on these MCUs.

The new MCUs feature up to 28 KB of self-read/write Flash program memory, up to 2 KB of RAM, a 10-bit ADC, a 5-/8-bit DAC, Capture-Compare PWM modules, stand-alone 10-bit PWM modules and high-speed comparators (60 ns typical response), along with EUSART, I2C and SPI interface pe-ripherals. They also feature XLP technology for typical active and sleep currents of just 35 A/MHz and 30 nA, respectively, helping to extend battery life and reduce standby current consumption.

Development Support The PIC16F170X/171X family is supported by Microchips standard suite of world-class development tools, including the PICkit 3 In-Circuit Debugger (PG164130), MPLAB ICD 3 In-Circuit Debugger (DV164035), PICkit 3 Low Pin Count Demo Board (DM164130-9), PICDEM Lab Development Kit (DM163045) and

DUAL MOTOR CONTROL

Made Easy

Highly efficient and cost-effective way of designing your dual

motor control-based applications

NEW PRODUCT

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NEW PRODUCT

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The MTCH6102 facilitates integration of touch and gestures into interface designs.

Adding a contemporary touch and gesture interface is easy.

Power, size and cost are all common constraints when adding touch-sens-ing capabilities to the latest trends in wearable technology and other cost-sensi-tive applications. Designers need a solution that will not only maximize battery life but that will also help them implement touch sensing into the smaller areas found on wearable de-vices, remote controls, gaming devices and track pads.

Adding a contemporary touch and gesture interface to your next application is easy with the new MTCH6102 family of turnkey projected-capacitive touch controllers. Delivering industry-leading low-power performance, the MTCH6102 facilitates design integration of capacitive scanning for touchscreens and touchpads, including 11 single-finger gestures to swipe, scroll and double tap.

The MTCH6102 enables flexible, scalable solutions to support PCB, ITO or FPC sensors up to 15 channels. It supports cover lenses up to 3 mm plastic and 5 mm glass and provides configurable sleep/idle frame rates that allow optimization for most power budgets with active mode as low as 12 A.

Ready to Wear Industrys Lowest Power Projected-Capacitive Touch Controllers Maximize Battery Life in Wearable and Other Cost-Sensitive Applications

MTCH6102 Family Enables Fast, Cost-Effective and Low-Power Human Interface Designs

Serving a wide range of applications in the consumer electronics market, the MTCH6102 is well-suited for use in remote controls, gaming devices, and wearable devices such as head-phones, watches, fitness wristbands and track pads. It also can be used for automotive inte-rior controls and control panels, as well as in a number of other human interface applications.

Development SupportIf you are new to designing with touch technology, we also offer resources that elim-inate the learning curve and time of creating

a design from scratch. The MTCH6102 is supported by the Low-Power Project-ed-Capacitive Touch Pad

Development Kit (DM160219). Our free Configuration Utility allows you to make fast customizations. We also provide you with the firmware library for further optimization and control if needed.

The low-cost MTCH6102 is the lowest power projected-capacitive touch solution in the in-dustry, which will maximize battery life in your design. It is available now from Microchips worldwide distribution network or it can be ordered from microchipDIRECT.

(continued on page 14)

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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GestIC Technology Wins 11 Global Awards

Microchip has been recognized by 11 global electronics industry publications for the product innovation and technology leadership of its patented GestIC technology, which enables the next dimension in intuitive, gesture-based, non-contact user interfaces for a broad range of end products. The MGC3130 is the worlds first electrical-field (E-field)-based 3D gesture controller. It utilizes GestIC technology to provide low-power, precise, fast and robust hand position tracking with free-space gesture recognition.

In the Americas, the MGC3130 won five awards. It was handpicked by the editors of Electronic Design Magazine for their Best of Electronic Design Awards, in the Digital category. EDN named the MGC3130 to their annual Hot 100 List, in the Microcontrollers & Processors category. EE Times chose this product as a finalist in the ULTIMATE PRODUCTS: Sensors category of their Annual Creativity in Electronics (ACE) Awards. Electronic Products Magazine bestowed a Product of the Year Award on Microchips GestIC technology, while Design News awarded its coveted Golden Mousetrap, in the Electronics & Test: Embedded Computing/Processing category.

In Asia, the MGC3130 received three prestigious honors. EE Times China Magazine selected it as a Product of the Year in the Microcontroller/Memory/Interface category of their ACE Awards. EDN China bestowed an Innovation Award in the Embedded System: Microcontrollers catego-ry. Electronic Engineering & Product World China Magazine selected GestIC technology for an Editors Choice Award in their Best Sensor Solutions category.

In Europe, the MGC3130 was recognized by three organizations. These included Europes most prestigious electronics-industry honors, the annual Elektra Awards, who named the MGC3130 as their Semiconductor Product of the Year in the Analog category. It also won Frances Electron dOr Award, in the Sensors category. From Italys Innovation Awards came a win for the MGC3130 in the Best Innovation Award category.

The sheer number of awards that weve won is a testament to our GestIC technologys ability to enable new and innovative user-interface capabilities in a broad range of products, said Fanie Duvenhage, director of Microchips Human Machine Interface Division. Our MGC3130 controller represents a gigantic leap forward in 3D, touchless gesture-interface technology in terms of cost, performance and power consumption.

Overpaying for RTCCs?Easy migration to lower costs

Migration Guides Code Examples Crystal Testing Samples

High-Speed

Configurable: Peak-Current Mode - OR - Voltage-Mode Control

Integrated Protection: UVLO, Thermal, Current Limit

Logic-Level MOSFET Driver

Small Footprint

PWM ControllerAnalog Power Conversion

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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Spring into Savings

Check out these fresh, new Development Tools Deals to help bring new life into your latest projects. These special sale prices are available from microchipdirect.com. Simply add the item to your cart and apply the coupon code during checkout. These are limited time offers so act quickly to get your savings while the deals are still available and supplies last.

MRF24WB0MA Wi-Fi PICtail/PICtail Plus Daughter Board microchipDIRECT Coupon Code: TP1414Are you interested in adding Internet connectivity to your design? The Wi-Fi PICtail/PICtail Plus Daughter Board is a demonstration board for evaluating Wi-Fi connectivity using PIC microcontrollers (MCUs) and the MRF24WB0MA module. It is compatible with the Explorer 16 Development Board (DM240001), PICDEM.net 2 Development

Board (DM163024) and PIC32 Starter Kit (DM320001) with I/O Expansion Board (DM320002). It's on sale for $19.99, a savings of more than 40%.

RN-171-PICtail/PICtail Plus Daughter BoardmicrochipDIRECT Coupon Code: TP1415WIth the RN-171-PICtail/PICtail Plus Daughter Board, you can easily develop Wi-Fi applications using our 8, 16 and 32-bit PIC MCUs. It includes a fully integrated TCP/IP stack allowing for a simple serial to Wi-Fi connection to the microcontroller. Save 40% and get yours for $23.99.

MRF24J40MA PICtail/PICtail Plus Daughter BoardmicrochipDIRECT Coupon Code: TP1416Targeted for ZigBee and MiWi Protocol Development Environment wireless protocol applications, the MRF24J40MA PICtail/PICtail Plus Daughter Board is a demonstration and development daughter board for the MRF24J40MA IEEE 802.15.4, 2.4 GHz RF Transceiver module.

It is compatible with the PIC18 Explorer Board (DM183022) and the Explorer 16 Development Board (DM240001). The sale price is $15.00 which is 40% off the regular price.

(continued on page 16)

DEV TOOL DEALS

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Fubarino SD Development BoardmicrochipDIRECT Coupon Code: TP1417

The Fubarino SD Development Board brings affordable, breadboard-compatible, high-speed computing power to the Arduino-compatible chipKIT/MPIDE platform. It is able to run almost all Arduino sketches right out of the box and includes more memory, speed, and I/O pins than a typical Arduino or clone. It also includes a microSD card slot for easy sketch access to huge file storage. Save 30% off the regular price and buy yours today for $21.99.

Explorer 16 Development BoardmicrochipDIRECT Coupon Code: TP1418The Explorer 16 Development Board is our go to tool for anyone new to our 16-bit and 32-bit MCUs. Its a low-cost modular development system that supports devices from our PIC24F and PIC32 families of MCUs and our dsPIC DSCs.

Processor Plug-In Modules (PIMs) are available to enable you to easily swap devices and use the Explorer 16 for prototyping, demonstration or development with a variety of MCUs from other families. Get yours for $79.99, which is $50 off the regular price.

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Design in ColorPIC12F1572 RGB Color Mixing Demonstration Overview

Based on the 8-pin PIC12F1572, our RGB Color Mixing Demonstration has been designed to show you how easy it can be to add a spectrum of color to your LED-based lighting application. The RGB color mixing badge incorporates the components required to demonstrate two modes of operation, using a Cree RGB LED to produce a range of colors that appear on the CIE1931 XY chromaticity chart. In both modes of operation, the brightness of the individual red, green and blue LEDs is controlled by varying the duty cycle of three dedicated 16-bit pulse-width modulation (PWM) peripherals. Each PWM has 16 bits of resolution with its own time base, allowing for increased accuracy and smooth color transitions.

Mode 1: Selecting Color Mix Using Color PaletteIn this mode, a color control slider with mTouch sensing technology allows you to use a predetermined color palette to select the color mix of the RGB LED. Touching or sliding your finger along the color slider will send the position of your finger to the PIC12F1572. The data is then translated into the corresponding color mix to be sent to the RGB LED. When no touch is detected after a specific time out period, the PIC12F1572 will begin rotating through a custom color mix until the next touch is detected. A MCP1640 Boost DC/DC regulator is incorporated to allow the system to be powered by a 3V lithium coin cell (CR2032) or an AAAA battery.

Mode 2: Selecting Color Mix Using Chromaticity Selector GUIThis mode offers a PC chromaticity selector GUI powered by USB connectivity which is provided by a PIC16F1455. Raw XY values are supplied to the PIC12F1572 via the PIC16F1455's USB to EUSART conversion. The PIC12F1572 performs the calculations using the color mixing software routine to generate RGB values, which are then color mixed to create the resulting lighting color.

Figure 1 - RGB Color Mixing Badge Front

(continued on page 18)

DESIGN ARTICLE

18

Refer to the block diagram in Figure 3 for additional

detail on the board's compo-nents. We have also published a companion application noteAN1562 - High Resolu-tion RGB LED Color Mixing Application Notewhich will give you a comprehensive guide to color mixing using the PIC12F1572 processor, as well as information on the CIE 1931 xy chromaticity chart, xyz color space, color theory and calculations.

Development Made EasyWe offer a number of helpful resources to speed up your development of high-quality lighting applications. Visit the PIC12F1572 RGB Color Mixing Demonstration page where you can find additional details and links

to the product pages for each of the Microchip devices used in the RGB color mixing badge. There are also links to downloads such as free schematics, the BOM, the board files and the 'C' source code for this demonstration board. If you would like to see a working demonstration of the RGB Color Mixing Badge, contact your local Microchip sales representative.

PC GUI

CREE RGB LED

mTouchTechnology

Slider Control

Color MixingControl

Auto Rotation Slider Input PC Input

EUSARTInterface

EUSARTInterface

USBInterface

PIC16F1455Microcontroller

PIC12F1572Microcontroller

USB to USARTCommunication

Conversion

10-bit ADC

5-bit DAC

3 16-bit PWM

Coin Cell orAAAA Battery

MCP1640Boost Regulator

mTouch TechnologyCapacitive ColorControl Slider (Mode 1)

Optional Battery Source

5V DC USBPower Supply (Mode 2)

Battery SupplyBoost Power Regulator(Mode 1)

3V DC Stable Output

0.35V to 5.5V DC Input

PC ChromaticitySelector GUI(Mode 2)

Figure 3 - PIC12F1572 RGB Color Mixing Demonstration Board Block Diagram

Figure 2 - RGB Color Mixing Badge Back

140326_TDSH_EELive_IRBE_Ad.indd 1 3/27/14 4:16 PM

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Low Noise for Great SoundOperational Amplifiers in Audio Applications

Operational amplifiers used in audio applications such as line drivers/receivers, active filters or preamplifiers have specific requirements. If you are designing products for the audio market, here is a quick look at some of the key specifications and details on how our amplifier portfolio fits within this space.

Bandwidth/Slew RateFor most high fidelity audio applications, the frequency range of interest is 20 Hz to 20 kHz. (For telephony applications, the range is much smaller, typically 300 Hz to 3.3 kHz.) The operational amplifier in the audio path needs to have sufficient bandwidth at the given gain level to ensure low distortion at the highest frequency of interest. Generally, op amps with a gain bandwidth of 5 MHz are sufficient for audio applications.

In addition to bandwidth, the other critical factor when it comes to op amp speed is the slew rate. Some audiophiles will insist that the higher the slew rate the better, but physics show us that as long as the amplifier is not slew limited then it doesnt matter. Compact discs typically have audio recorded at 44 kHz, which is a period of 22 S. Higher-end audio may be recorded at 96 kHz or even 192 kHz, with periods around 11 S and 5 S respectively. This implies that a 5V op amp with a slew rate of 1 V/S is sufficiently fast enough for all recording rates. A 12V op amp swinging rail to rail will still only need a slew rate of 2.4 V/S. Keep in mind this is a theoretical limit, as peak audio levels roll off at higher frequencies.

Open Loop GainThe open loop voltage gain of an amplifier is the ratio of the change in output voltage to a change in input voltage. For audio applications, the higher the open loop gain the better as the amplifier will be better suited to minimize distortion, especially at higher gain settings. The best audio am-plifiers on the market have open loop gains around 140 dB, with 90 dB being a good minimum to keep in mind for most audio applications.

CMRR/PSRRWhen it comes to common mode and power supply rejection, audio applications are not much different than any other application. These specifications can be important to minimize distortion

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due to noise sources either common to the inputs (especially important in single-ended

applications) or due to noise on the power supply lines (ripple or distorted versions of the actual audio signal). In the past, developers of some audio applications would simply overde-sign the power supply circuitry to minimize the effects of poor PSRR within the amplifiers. However, proper amplifier selection is the more economical approach to minimizing power supply noise issues.

Low Noise/DistortionNoise or distortion associated with the op amp needs to be minimal relative to the rest of the audio system. Ideally, the total harmonic dis-tortion (THD) of the amplifier will be specified under various loading conditions, across fre-quency and across various gains. Unless the amplifier is specifically designed for audio, this specification may not be available in the data-sheet. When it comes to amplifier noise, both the voltage and current noise must be taken into consideration as both can play a critical factor to the overall noise budget, depending on the rest of the amplifier circuitry.

Microchips Op Amp PortfolioMicrochip Technology offers a wide variety of operational amplifiers spanning bandwidths from 10 kHz to 60 MHz. Our op amps are de-signed for superior DC performance featuring low offset voltage, low bias current as well as low quiescent current and low operating volt-age. Although these features are critical in a wide variety of applications, low offset and bias current typically isnt important for AC-coupled audio applications. Also, a majority of our oper-ational amplifiers are designed on a low-power, lower-voltage CMOS process, ideally suited for single-ended, low-voltage operation. Most con-sumer and pro audio circuitry requires higher operating voltage ranges to maximize dynamic range. However, for portable audio applications which require lower-voltage operation and an emphasis on power utilization, our portfolio of amplifiers offers some attractive solutions.

See the table below and contact your local Microchip sales office for additional informa-tion on how our op amps can help make your audio design successful.

Product GBWP (MHz)Slew Rate

(V/S)

Open Loop Gain (dB)

CMRR (dB)

PSRR (dB)

Iq Typical

(A)

Input Voltage Noise

Density (nV/Hz)

Operating Voltage

(V)Comment

MCP6271 2 0.9 110 80 90 170 20 2.0 to 5.5

Low current, low voltage, high output drive good for low-end earbud speakers

MCP6286 3.5 2 120 95 100 520 5.4 2.2 to 5.5Ultra low noise, low-power operation

MCP6H81 5.5 5 120 95 102 700 23 3.5 to 1212V operation, good ac performance

MCP6H91 10 10 115 91 94 2000 23 3.5 to 1212V operation, fast bandwidth/slewing

MCP6021 10 7 110 90 90 1000 8.7 2.5 to 5.5Low noise, fast bandwidth/slewing, mid-supply reference

Table 1 - Select Operational Amplifiers from Microchip Technology

Figure 1 - PIC32 Audio Equalizer (EQ) Filter Library Block Diagram

Bluetooth audio speakers and audio peripherals

USB-enabled audio

Speaker phones

Headsets

Microphone noise suppression

ADC sample filtering, data collection

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Filtering Digital AudioPIC32 Audio Equalizer Filter Library Customizes Listening Experience

Designers and consumers of today's audio platforms expect better performance than that of previous technologies. The PIC32 Audio Equalizer (EQ) Filter Library is specifically de-signed to assist with multiple-frequency filtering of digital audio in your product. The library can work from multiple audio sources and customize the listening experience to compensate for speaker, room/enclosure acoustics or user preferences. It can support either graphic equalizer or parametric equalizer filtering functions for the following applications:

An optional element of graphical frequency-band magnitude is also available to enable a real-time display of the audio output.

Audio Equalizer Filtering LibraryAs shown in Figure 1, digital filtering during music playback can be performed before digital bits are converted into the analog voltages that are played by speakers to maintain high fidelity audio. An audio equalizer filtering library performs various tasks including digital filtering to correct deficits in the recorded music, mitigate problems in the speakers being used, or simply correct

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for the room's acousticsall focused on improving the user's listening experience.

The library provides filtering primitives for audio equalization using infinite impulse re-sponse (IIR) filters. It supports filter architec-tures for traditional graphical equalization and for parametric equalization.

Graphic Equalizer Display LibraryThe Graphic Equalizer Display Library works on any Microchip device that drives an LCD display, providing graphic equalizer displays for the host application. Graphic equalizers are used to adjust the spectral content of music by providing gain or attenuation to parts of the music based on frequency. This library works hand-in-hand with the Audio Equalizer

Filtering Library, which does the actual signal processing (filtering).

The Graphic Equalizer Display Library is an adjunct of the Audio Equalizer Filtering Library in that it supports displaying information pro-duced by routines in the filtering library, namely signal strength as measured by the filtering library. It also supports displaying band filter gains so that the user can adjust filter gains as part of a Graphic Equalizer display.

The library is free to download, and there are no associated royalties when the code is used with a Microchip PIC microprocessor. Visit the PIC32 Audio Equalizer (EQ) Filter Library page on Microchip's website for links to the related downloads.

Filter TypeNumber of Filter Bands

Notes2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Graphic EQ (MIPS) 29.9 37.0 44.0 51.2 58.4

44.1K samples/second, 2-channel audio, 16-bit data. Includes gain calculation for dynamic display.

Parametric EQ (MIPS) 8.15 11.2 14.3 17.4 20.5 23.6 26.7

44.1K samples/second, 2-channel audio, 32-bit data.

Table 1 - Resource Requirements (Less than 1K Flash memory; less than 500 Bytes of RAM memory)

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Lighting the Way to LED Design

Given the ongoing advancements in LED technology, you may feel challenged by all the considerations involved in imple-menting a successful LED application. If you would like some expert assistance in bringing your intelli-gent lighting design to life, our verified Intelligent Lighting & Control Design Specialists are available to provide you with a range of support services.

The latest company to join our list of lighting partners is Intelligent LED Solutions (ILS). They operate primarily in the UK and Ireland to provide supportfrom prototyping to high-volume mass productionfor LED-based solutions in lighting and other applications. Their aim is to make the LED design-in process trouble-free and to help their customers

employ the evolving LED technology to its best advantage. ILS will not only follow your specific requirements, but can also suggest methods to help you maximize the LED light sources in your design. As LED efficiencies increase and as brighter LED sources become available over the course of time, ILS will review any design they have created with you and inform you of any potential cost reductions, design improvements or additional enhancements that can be achieved.

ILS is a franchised stocking distributor and agent for Osram OptoSemiconductors, Osram LED Lighting Products, Intematix, DK Thermal, Stanley, Ledil and Furukawa Electric. They are also the Systems Integration partner for remote phosphor innovator Intematix and an active Osram "LED Light for you" partner. They work closely with other companies to enable them to provide power and driver solutions. ILS has also introduced its own range of products including LED Power-Stars, PowerClusters, Strips, Coins, Tiles and LED Flood Boards, which can be easily adapted or customized to meet your needs.

To learn more about the products and services that ILS offers to assist you with your intelligent lighting project, please visit their website at i-led.co.uk or email them at info@i-led.co.uk.

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Filling Up Your CartIt's Easy to Place Large Orders on microchipDIRECT

When your shopping list is long and your time is short, microchipDIRECT offers several ways to speed you through the ordering process. These tools will help you fill up your cart with your choice of Microchip products so that you can quickly complete your purchase and return to your more pressing responsibilities.

To get started, simply go to www.microchipdirect.com and click on the "Quick Add to Cart" icon. If you don't have an ex-tensive list and know the part numbers of the device(s) you'd like to purchase, you can just begin entering the data in the part number entry box. A dropdown list will appear to assist you with selecting just the right device for your order.

If your list is a little more lengthy, you should try out the new bulk uploader feature. Simply insert your product data into a .csv file and upload it into your shopping cart using the "Import Data from File" link. The link is found

to the right of the data entry fields on the Cart page. You can click on the grey question mark to access our Bulk Upload Help page for additional details on formatting your .csv file and other assistance with this feature. As an extra convenience, we offer .csv templates in "Registered User" and "Business Account" formats that you can download directly from the help area. Look for the "Download Template" graphic to select and download the appropriate .csv file for your type of order. Add your parts to the template and then upload it, again using the "Import Data from File" link.

As always, if you have any questions about the ordering process or need any other assistance, feel free to contact microchipDIRECT Sales Support for your location.

Now in its 18th consecutive year, Microchips MASTERs Conference is where software and hardware design engineers and engineering managers will find solutions to their embedded control challenges. Attendees will not only benefit from an in-depth education on Microchip's products, but will also have many opportunities to interface with Microchip Field Applications Engineers and other technical experts.

On-line registration with special early bird discounts will be available in April, 2014. Visit www.microchip.com/usmasters for more information and to sign up to be notified by email when registration opens.

MASTERs 2014

MASTERs 2014

Pre-Conference MASTERs Conference

August 18th - 19th August 20th - 23rd

arizona JW Marriott

Pre-Conference DatesAugust 18-19, 2014

Conference DatesAugust 20-23, 2014

The premier technical training conference for embedded control engineers