July 2 - Microchip Technology Inc.

1. Microchip L aunches 60 MIPS

Microchip Launches 60 MIPS Enhanced Core dsPIC33 Digital Signal Controllers and PIC24 Microcontrollers

2. Do You Need Advanced Control in

Products Have More Memory (536 KB Flash) and Integration (USB 2.0 OTG); Launch Includes 9 Devices and Starter Kits, Plug-In Modules, Software Libraries and Application Notes

In This Issue... Enhanced Core dsPIC33 Digital Signal Controllers and PIC24 Microcontrollers Your Cost-Sensitive Design?

3. Need a Wireless Development

Environment for IEEE 802.15.4 2.4 GHz and Unlicensed Sub -GHz Networks?

4. Microchip E xpands RF Power Amplifier Portfolio

5. Need Serial Quad I/O™, High -

Performance, Feature-Rich 3V, 32-Mbit SQI™ Serial Flash Memory?

6. Microchip and Digilent's

PIC32- based Cerebot™ 32MX7 Microcontroller Development Kit

7. Microchip and Stratford

Digital's Full, Turnkey 16- bit Microcontroller Development Platform for Educators

8. Offset Voltage and Open -

Loop Gain – Critical Amplifier Parameters for Strain Gauge A pplications

9. DIY: Power Your Projects with the Sun

10. LiftMaster® Selects Arrayent

to Power Its My Q™ Family of Internet Connected Garage Door Openers

11. Join Microchip Technology at

Embedded Systems Conference 2011 in India

12. Microchip MASTERs Conference Celebrates 15 years of Continuous Education

13. Looking to Enhance Your

Embedded Control Designs?

14. What's New in Microchip Literature

15. What's New at microchipDIRECT?

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July

Microchip announced 60 MIPS 16-bit dsPIC® Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) and PIC24 microcontrollers (MCUs). Based upon the next-generation dsPIC DSC/PIC24 MCU core, the 60 MIPS dsPIC33 and PIC24 “E” devices offer larger (536 KB) Flash memory, more RAM (52 KB), greater I/O capability with 144-pin packages, a USB 2.0 OTG interface, and expanded motor-control, graphics, audio, and real-time embedded-control capabilities over the previousgeneration. In support of the first nine dsPIC33 and PIC24 “E” devices released today, Microchip launched two USB starter kits and five Plug-In Modules (PIMs) that can be used with its Multimedia Expansion Board, motor-control development kits, and Explorer 16 development platforms. Also available are 30 software libraries and application notes on topics such as speech and audio, encryption/decryption, communications and motor control. The new devices and comprehensive support package help customers create high-performance designs in less time. Microchip’s dsPIC33E DSCs and PIC24E MCUs are fully compatible with the existing broad portfolio of dsPIC33F DSCs and PIC24H/PIC24F MCUs, software libraries and tools, providing a solid growth path for current customers. The new USB 2.0 On-TheGo (OTG) peripheral enables a connection to a PC, Flash drive and other USB-enabled devices, and 60 MIPS performance means the new devices support high-end industrial and commercial applications, such as Servo motor control, solar inverters, and running dual 3-phase motors in parallel. Additionally, a new, independent Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) mode supports multiple stepper motors and dead-time compensation, which reduces software overhead. Three on-chip analog comparators further reduce system cost and the number of external components required. The first dsPIC33 and PIC24 “E” devices include four each of the SPI and UART interfaces, as well as two I2C™ interfaces. A new auxiliary Flash module enables designers to program or erase Flash data without slowing normal CPU operation, which is critical for motor-control, power-conversion and many other applications that require on-the-fly programming. Improved Direct Memory Access (DMA) functionality automatically starts linked DMA operations, and the improved debugger capability enables complex breakpoints for faster debugging. Additionally, with enhanced timer capabilities, the dsPIC33 and PIC24 “E” devices’ Input-Capture and Output-Compare modules are more flexible and powerful. The dsPIC33E USB Starter Kit (part # DM330012) and PIC24E USB Starter Kit (part # DM240012) can be used for stand-alone development and also work with Microchip development platforms such as its Multimedia Expansion Board (part # DM320005) to enable the development of high-impact user interfaces. To learn more about both chips visit: http://www.microchip.com/en_US/family/16bit/

www.microchip.com

Microcontrollers • Digital Signal Controllers • Analog • Memory • Wireless

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY’S microSOLUTIONS Monthly E-newsletter - July 2011

Do You Need Advanced Control in Your Cost-Sensitive Design? 16-bit Devices Provide Breakthrough Performance for General-Purpose and Motor Control Applications Microchip announced a new series of 16-bit PIC® microcontrollers (MCUs) and dsPIC® Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) that bring advanced control to cost-sensitive general-purpose and motorcontrol designs. The new devices enable low-cost, sensorless motor-control designs, with support for a wide range of motor-control algorithms, and include an on-chip Charge Time Measurement Unit (CTMU), and 10-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), to enable intelligent sensor applications, and mTouch™ capacitive touch sensing. The devices are supported by three new Plug-In Modules (PIMs) and a single-board motor-control starter kit that includes cap-touch sliders and an onboard BLDC motor, making it easy for designers to create high-performance applications in the appliance (e.g. washing machines), medical (e.g. infusion pumps) and industrial (e.g. AC-induction motors) markets, among others. Today’s designers are challenged to create higher-performing products at lower costs. With specialized features and peripherals optimized for general-purpose and motor-control applications, at prices near $1.00 each in high-volume quantities, the dsPIC33FJ16 “GP”, dsPIC33FJ16 and PIC24FJ16 “MC” devices meet these needs. In addition to their on-chip CTMU and ADC peripherals, the general-purpose dsPIC33FJ16 “GP” devices include a Real-Time Clock/Calendar and up to 21 general-purpose output pins, making them ideal for driving intelligent sensors. The dsPIC33FJ16 and PIC24FJ16 “MC” devices include a 6-channel Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) peripheral with synchronized outputs for 3-phase operation, enabling support for a wide range of motor-control algorithms and applications, from simple sensored motors, to advanced Sinusoidal Field-Oriented Control (FOC), Brushless DC (BLDC), Permanent Magnet and Synchronous AC-Induction Motors (ACIMs). Customers are always looking for ways to incorporate more features and functionality into their designs without increasing costs. The dsPIC33FJ16 DSCs and PIC24FJ16 MCUs meet these needs, with the ‘MC’ versions enabling customers to enjoy the benefits of advanced motor control, such as higher efficiency, quieter operation, smoother torque and higher reliability. Microchip announced several new development tools to help designers get started using these new devices. The Motor Control Starter Kit With mTouch Sensing (part # DM330015) contains a single board with a BLDC motor, capacitive-touch sliders and a built-in debugger. The dsPIC33FJ16GP102 (part # MA330029), PIC24FJ16MC102 (part # MA240026), and dsPIC33FJ16MC102 (part # MA330026) PIMs are available, and work with the Explorer 16 (part # DM240001) and dsPICDEM™ MCLV (part # DM330021) development boards. The dsPIC33FJ16GP101 DSC is available in 18-pin PDIP and SOIC packages, as well as a 20-pin SSOP packages. The dsPIC33FJ16GP102 and dsPIC33FJ16MC102 DSCs, and PIC24FJ16MC102 MCU, are available in 28-pin QFN-S, SDIP, SOIC, and SSOP packages, as well as a 36-pin VLAP package. The dsPIC33FJ16MC101 DSC and PIC24FJ16MC101 MCU are available in 20-pin PDIP, SOIC and SSOP packages.

To learn more about this new range of products, visit: http://www.microchip.com/en_US/family/16bit/index.html

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Need a Wireless Development Environment for IEEE 802.15.4 2.4 GHz and Unlicensed Sub-GHz Networks? New Tools Make it Easy to Develop Cost-Effective, Low-Power Star and Mesh Wireless Products Based on Microchip’s Free, Proprietary MiWi™ Protocol Stacks Microchip announced its expanded MiWi™ Development Environment (DE), which is a complete ecosystem for designing star and mesh wireless networking products. The MiWi DE is comprised of Microchip’s free, proprietary MiWi P2P, MiWi and MiWi PRO star and mesh networking protocol stacks; the 8-bit Wireless Development Kit (WDK) and ZENA™ Wireless Adapters (2.4 GHz, 868 MHz and 915 MHz); and the multi-purpose Wireless Development Studio (WDS) with cross-platform support for the Linux, Mac OS® and Windows® operating systems. The MiWi DE is ideal for the development of ISM-band wireless networking applications for the home and industrial automation, wireless sensor monitoring and control, and smart energy markets. Low-power wireless connectivity is becoming increasingly popular in many embedded microcontroller applications, and Microchip’s new additions to the MiWi DE combine to make it easy for designers to add wireless connectivity. The new MiWi PRO mesh-networking protocol is ideal for design engineers needing to create medium to large wireless systems. It supports up to 64 hops and 8,000 nodes in an integrated mesh-network topology. The Wireless Development Studio allows the quick, easy development of wireless applications based on the MiWi protocols. It features a MiWi protocol sniffer for monitoring, debugging and gathering information, and a configurator with a graphical user interface that enables the simple customization and configuration of wireless networks. Microchip’s two new hardware tools simplify wireless application development. The ZENA Wireless Adapters meet customer demand for a portable, multi-function development tool. When paired with the Wireless Development Studio, the ZENA Wireless Adapters can be used for sniffing, probing and testing; or, they can be configured as a node on the network. The 8-bit Wireless Development Kit provides eXtreme Low Power PIC® microcontroller users with an easy-to-use platform for developing, evaluating and testing low-power, cost-effective embedded wireless connectivity. It features a pair of wireless PICtail™ daughter boards, two battery-friendly 8-bit XLP PIC MCU development boards and the ability to add additional nodes to create a larger wireless network. Microchip’s new MiWi DE gives our customers the tools they need to quickly and easily add low-power embedded wireless connectivity to their applications. This single, seamless development environment supports three interchangeable protocol stacks with three interchangeable wireless PICtail daughter boards, reducing risk and enabling faster time to market with a flexible, cost-effective solution for our customers. The new MiWi PRO protocol stack – as part of the expanded MiWi DE – is available via free download, at www.microchip.com/miwi. The Wireless Development Studio is available today via free download. The 8-bit Wireless Development Kit – 2.4 GHz MRF24J40 (part # DM182015-1), the ZENA Wireless Adapter – 2.4 GHz MRF24J40 (part # AC182015-1) are both available with ZENA adapters for 868 MHz and 915 MHz wireless applications expected to be available in the fourth quarter of 2011. To learn more about the MiWi™ Development Environment, visit: http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=2664¶m=en520414&redirects=miwi

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Microchip Expands RF Power Amplifier Portfolio New Devices Are Ideal for Embedded WLAN Applications Requiring Small Size, High Efficiency and Low Battery-Voltage Operation Microchip announced the expansion of its RF power amplifier portfolio, with the addition of the new SST12LP17E and SST12LP18E devices. The SST12LP17E is the smallest fully matched power amp in its class, requiring only one DC bypass capacitor to achieve optimum performance. The SST12LP18E is a lowercost, lower-voltage alternative to Microchip’s popular SST12LP14E power amp. It offers the lowest operating voltage of any Microchip RF power amp, while operating at -20 to +85 degrees Celsius. The devices feature operating voltages as low as 2.7V, linear output power as high as 18.5 dBm at 2.5 percent EVM using IEEE 802.11g OFDM 54 Mbps, and 23.5 dBm for IEEE 802.11b and a high power-added efficiency of up to 38 percent for IEEE 802.11b. The amps are offered in an 8-pin 2x2x.45 mm QFN package. They are ideal for embedded WLAN applications where small size, high efficiency and low-battery voltage operation are required, such as in the consumer electronics market, in cell phones, game consoles, printers and tablets. Many engineers are under pressure to extend battery life in their applications, and these new devices meet that demand by offering high power-added efficiency to reduce battery current drain, while their low operating voltages further extend battery life. The SST12LP17E’s matched input and output ports are easy to use and enable faster time-to-market. Additionally, this device requires no external RF matching components and requires only one external capacitor, taking up less board space. With the release of these new power amps, Microchip can now offer customers the same reliable operation over temperature with even lower operating voltages. Combined with high-efficiency operation, these low-operating-voltage devices extend the operating battery life for applications in the consumerelectronics industry. The new RF power amps are available in an 8-pin 2x2x.45 mm QFN package. Samples are available today.

Learn more about Microchip's expanded RF power amplifier portfolio, visit: http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/01356A.pdf

www.microchip.com



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Need Serial Quad I/O™, High-Performance, Feature-Rich 3V, 32-Mbit SQI™ Serial Flash Memory? Microchip has expanded its Serial Quad I/O™ (SQI™) Flash memory family, with the new SST26VF032 3V, 32-Mbit SQI Flash memory device. Building on the success of the innovative SST26 Series family of products, this new 4-bit, multiplexed I/O serial interface Flash memory device features an enhanced serial-interface architecture that allows for low-power, highperformance operation and flexible data/code-protection schemes. With an 80 MHz operating frequency and a specialized instruction set, the SST26VF032 targets eXecute-In-Place (XIP) applications, allowing programs to be stored and executed directly from the Flash memory, which increases overall system performance without the need for code shadowing on a RAM device. The SST26VF032 is offered in a compact, 6x5 mm, 8-pin WSON package and an 8-pin SOIC package, which reduces board space and lowers system costs. This device is ideal for a wide variety of applications, such as mobile handsets, DVD and Blu-ray™ players, printers, digital TVs, network appliances, GPS devices, DSL and cable modems, smart meters and more. The SST26VF032 meets customer demand for high-performance, low-power-consumption, reliable Flash memory. The device features industry-leading low latency and burst-mode operation, which allows code execution in burst snippets to fill cache-line buffers and maximize system bandwidth in applications without RAM. Additionally, the device features index memory operation, which accelerates memory data access without the need to load an entire address. These features combine to enable true XIP performance. The device’s proprietary, CMOS SuperFlash® technology increases manufacturing throughput by enabling an industry-leading typical program time of 1 ms, and a typical erase time of 18 ms. The device also offers enhanced security features, including block protection, block-protection lockdown and a one-time programmable area, which protect against unauthorized access and malicious read, program and erase intentions. The SST26VF032 features an active read current of 12 milliamperes (typical), a standby current of 8 microamperes (typical) and low leakage current of 1 microamperes (max), which combine to extend battery life in applications. Additionally, the highly reliable device has an endurance rate of 100,000 erase/write cycles, with a minimum of 100 years of data retention, providing a long product life and low failure rates. Microchip’s broadened SQI Flash memory product portfolio serves the growing demand for low pin count, high-bandwidth Flash memory devices. The SST26VF032 is a total solution for applications that require serial Flash memory with XIP performance, lower power consumption and flexible data/code protection. Developers can begin designing with the SST26VF032 Flash memory today, using Verilog and IBIS models, which can simulate SST26VF032 device behavior in the system. The SST26VF032 is available in a 6 x5 mm, 8-pin WSON package, and an 8-pin SOIC package. Samples are available today. Volume-production quantities can also be ordered. Learn more about Microchip's serial flash memory portfolio, visit: http://www.microchip.com/ParamChartSearch/chart.aspx?branchID=71201&mid=&lang=en

www.microchip.com



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Microchip and Digilent's PIC32-based Cerebot™ 32MX7 Microcontroller Development Kit Kit is Ideal for Academic and Hobbyist Networking Applications Microchip and Digilent®, Inc., announced the availability of a PIC32 32-bit microcontroller (MCU)-based development kit through Digilent, Inc. The Digilent® Cerebot™ 32MX7 Development Kit addresses the growing interest in embedded-control and networking applications from the academic and hobbyist markets, and is ideal for learning about microcontrollers and solving real problems. The kit includes a demonstration board providing a 10/100 Ethernet interface, dual CAN and I2C™ interfaces, the ability to use Digilent Pmod™ peripheral modules, and an integrated programming/debugging circuit that is compatible with the free MPLAB® IDE. Example applications include university embedded-systems and communications classes, senior capstone projects, and numerous other academic and hobbyist projects. The Cerebot 32MX7 board features numerous I/O connectors, and power-supply options including USB power, giving users the flexibility to utilize it for a variety of embedded networking and control applications. The onboard PIC32 MCU operates at 80 MHz, and features 512 Kbytes of Flash program memory and 128 Kbytes of RAM, as well as numerous peripherals, such as a full speed USB On-The-Go (OTG)/Host/Device controller, Ethernet controller, dual CAN controllers, timer/counters, serial-interface controllers, Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) and more. The Cerebot 32MX7 board combines three push buttons, four LEDs, Ethernet, CAN and I2C bus connectors, and six connectors for Digilent Pmod peripheral modules, including H-bridges, ADCs, Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs), RF transceivers, speakers, switches, along with converters for easy connection to RS-232, servo motors and more. Digilent continues to be a premier design partner for Microchip, helping to build awareness and traction in academic institutions around the globe. The Cerebot 32MX7 kit makes it easy for students to incorporate networking into their student projects with Microchip’s industry-leading PIC32 MCU product family. The free versions of Microchip's MPLAB IDE and C Compiler for PIC32 MCUs can be downloaded today, from the Microchip website. The Cerebot 32MX7 Development Kit is available today. It can be purchased from Digilent or from microchipDIRECT (part # TDGL004). Visit the Microchip website to learn more about Microchip’s Academic Program. About Digilent Inc. Digilent Inc. is a leader in providing academic and research solutions in high end electronics fields. Their headquarters are in Pullman Washington, with offices in Taiwan, China and Romania. Currently, over 1000 universities, training centers and research laboratories in more than 70 countries use Digilent products and services. For more information, please visit the Digilent website.

To learn more about the Digilent® Cerebot™ 32MX7 Development Kit, visit: http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en554269

www.microchip.com



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Microchip and Stratford Digital's Full,Turnkey 16-bit Microcontroller Development Platform for Educators Out-of-Box, PIC24-based Platform Makes It Easy for Educators to Teach Microchip in the Classroom; Includes Two Boards and Free Software Download of 10 Unique Labs Microchip and Stratford Digital, announced a full, turnkey, 16-bit microcontroller development platform that enables educators to quickly and easily integrate Microchip into their curriculum. The PIC24-based platform includes two boards – the MX PIC24 Module (part # TSTR001) and MX Educational Target Board (part # TSTR002) – and a free software download of an Educator’s Lab Manual, including 10 unique labs on topics ranging from “Intro to Microcontrollers,” to timers, Pulse-Width Modulation and Analog-to-Digital Converters, to power management. The MX PIC24 Module includes an onboard PIC24FJ256GB110 16-bit microcontroller from Microchip that features 256 KB Flash program memory and 16 KB RAM. The module also includes 32 KB on-chip EEPROM and an onboard debugger/programmer. The MX Educational Target Board accepts any MX module and includes a breadboard area, plus SPI, I2C™, RS-232, CAN and JTAG ports, along with four LEDs. General tools needed for the Lab Manual, such as Microchip’s MPLAB® IDE v.8.63, are also included. With the MX educational modules from Stratford Digital, Microchip continues to make it easy for educators to teach PIC® microcontrollers in the classroom. This PIC24-based hardware and 10 accompanying labs will help educators integrate Microchip into their classrooms quickly, easily and inexpensively. “As a Microchip design partner, I interact with many levels of design professionals across many organizations. I am concerned with the quality of new engineers and their knowledge of basic embedded design issues. Educators can use the new MX Educational Target Board and PIC24F Educational Module solution to accelerate new-course introductions,” said James Morrison, chief executive officer with Stratford Digital. “Rather than spending countless hours developing and updating courses to keep up with the demands of today’s industry, this new MX Module Series platform and full set of lab materials will enable educators to focus on what is important – teaching our future engineers.” The MX PIC24 Module (part # TSTR001) and MX Educational Target Board (part # TSTR002) are available from microchipDIRECT and from Stratford Digital. User’s Manuals and additional information are available on Stratford Digital’s website and on Microchip’s website. More information about Microchip’s Academic and Design Partner Programs can be found online. About Stratford Digital Founded in 2004, Stratford Digital specializes in electronic design and embedded product development. A network of world-class design partners and a proven development process enable creative solutions to the challenging design problems of our entrepreneurial clients. Reduced time-to-market and engineering costs are delivered by getting the design right the first time. Turnkey product development and engineering design services cover the entire range of embedded technologies including hardware, microcontroller, and microprocessor firmware, FPGA and PLD programmable logic, industrial, and mechanical design technologies.

To learn more about Microchip's Authorized Design Partner Network, visit: http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=2502¶m=en534075

www.microchip.com



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Offset Voltage and Open-Loop Gain – Critical Amplifier Parameters for Strain Gauge Applications The world of data acquisition is extremely diverse, encompassing measurements of temperature, pressure, humidity, strain and a variety of other physical phenomenon. System designers must be diligent in not only selecting the correct sensor for their application, but also in designing appropriate signal conditioning to deal with these issues. Introduction to Strain Gauges Before jumping into a discussion of amplifiers and signal conditioning circuitry, it is worthwhile to quickly review strain gauges. By definition, “strain” is an alteration due to an external force. A strain gauge uses electrical resistance in order to quantify the amount of strain caused by an external force. This change in resistance can then be measured and the magnitude of the applied force quantified. Offset Voltage and Open-Loop Gain Depending upon the output swing of the bridged gauges and the full-scale input of the ADC, the analog signal may need amplification by 500 times or more. In addition, the circuitry must provide adequate headroom so that the signal does not saturate the amplifier or the ADC. Several considerations must be made when selecting an amplifier or amplifiers to use in a gain stage. First, due to the high amount of gain that may be required, the offset voltage of the amplifier becomes critical. Any voltage offset due to the amplifier will be multiplied by the gain. For example, an amplifier that has an offset of 1 mV and configuration for a gain of 500 times would produce an error voltage of 0.5V at the output of the amplifier. For a strain gauge bridge that produces 10 mV at full scale, the amplifier-offset error could result in a measurement error of 10 percent. Secondly, the amplifier must have enough open-loop gain to provide the required amplification, while still maintaining performance. For a typical amplifier, the open-loop gain remains constant over a certain frequency range and then begins to roll off at 20 dB per decade. Most general-purpose amplifiers have an open- loop gain of 100 dB to 120 dB. Such an amplifier can handle a gain of 500, as mentioned above, but would probably limit the overall performance of the system. For example, assume an amplifier has an open-loop gain of 120 dB. We will also assume that the bandwidth of the amplifier is sufficient to not be a factor for the frequency of interest, at a gain of 500. A gain of 500 is approximately 54 dB, so 54 dB of the amplifier’s open-loop gain is dedicated to providing gain.

The remaining 66 dB is the open-loop-gain margin that is available to ensure linearity, as shown in Figure 1. This implies that the amplifier is linear to approximately one part in 2000, or about 11 bits. To get around this limitation, a system designer can select an amplifier with more open-loop gain. Although such amplifiers exist, they are not widely available and may not be cost effective. Another solution is to use multiple-gain stages to achieve the overall desired gain, such as a traditional two or three amplifier instrumentation topology. Perhaps a better solution would be to use an instrumentation amplifier, which is specifically designed to provide high gain and good performance, and generally has better voltage offset and drift performance relative to a discrete instrumentation amplifier circuit. Conclusion Strain gauges are found in a wide variety of applications, from electronic scales to measuring the torque on a steel beam. Each application presents its own design requirements and challenges. When selecting an amplifier to provide signal conditioning, it is imperative to ensure that the amplifier can provide the required gain and still maintain acceptable linearity.

125 dB

120 dB

100 dB 75 dB

Open Loop Gain Available to Ensure Linearity

54 dB

50 dB 25 dB

Open Loop Gain Used For Amplification

For detailed App notes on Strain Gauges, visit: http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/AppNotes/01030a.pdf

www.microchip.com

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DIY: Power Your Projects with the Sun Limor Fried of Adafruit Industries Tells Us How… You may recognize Limor Fried a.k.a. Ladyada because she was featured as the very first female engineer ever on the cover of Wired Magazine in the April 2011 issue. Ladyada is known to be a pioneer in the Open Source Electronics and DIY revolution. She started out as a Maker and eventually started Adafruit Industries, a company located in New York City that sells kits and hardware for original, opensource electronics projects. The purpose of this article is not only to introduce you to Adafruit Industries, but also to a really cool and inexpensive (20 USD) way to power your electronic projects by the sun. Limor shares her USB, DC and Solar Lipology Charger design that features Microchip’s MCP73781, a Stand-Alone System Load Sharing and Li-Ion/Li-Polymer Battery Charge Management Controller. Below you will find design details followed by her design notes. Introduction Make your projects to go green this summer with Adafruit’s specialized USB/ Solar Lithium Ion Polymer Battery charger! This charger is a very unique design, perfect for outdoor projects, or DIY iPod chargers. Over a year of testing and tinkering went into this charger to come up with a plug and play solution to charging batteries with the sun and Adafruit is very pleased with the end result. Want it simple? Pick up any of Adafruit's many 3.7V/4.2V LiIon batteries, and a 6V solar panel. Plug the battery into the BATT port using a 2-pin JST cable and the solar panel into the DC jack. Put the solar panel outside (and keep the battery out of the sun, it needs to be kept shaded!) to start charging. You can power another project like a Mintyboost at the same time by connecting to the LOAD output port yy 3.7V/4.2V Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer battery charger yy Charge with 5-6V DC, USB or solar panel! yy Too dark out? Use a USB mini-B cable or a 5V DC adapter yy Automatic charging current tracking for high efficiency use of any wattage solar panel yy Use any 5-6V solar panel (6V seems to work best)

yy Three color indicator LEDs – Power good, Charging and Done yy Low Battery Indicator (fixed at 3.1V) with LED output yy Set for 500mA max charge rate, can be adjusted from 50mA up to 1A by soldering in a resistor yy Will always draw the most current possible from a solar cell – up to the max charge rate! yy Smart load sharing automatically uses the input power when available, to keep battery from constantly charging/discharging yy Temperature monitoring of battery by soldering in a 10K NTC thermistor – for outdoor projects where the battery may get hot (50°C) or cold (0°C)

A Solar-powered Mintyboost

Is this a Max Power Point Tracker (MPPT)? This design is not a 'true' MPPT, and we did that for a reason! Max power point trackers work by 'tracking' the voltage and current curve of a solar panel so that the total Power (Voltage * Current) is maximized. This means that as the light changes, the voltage and current must be carefully tracked. In general, the way controllers perform MPPT is to have a DC/DC converter – that's because to have the best power conversion you'll want DC/DC not linear converters (that lose any excess voltage as heat). For example, say you want to charge a 6V lead acid battery and you have a 12V (approx) panel. The voltage will range between 9V and 14V depending on current draw and visible light. The buck converter will do its best to keep the current draw so that the total power available at the output is maximized. To read more about Ladyada’s Solar Charger design notes, click here. To Get Started and DIY, Order Your Board here.

For more information, visit Adafruit at: http://www.adafruit.com for more information on this article: email [email protected]

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LiftMaster® Selects Arrayent to Power Its MyQ™ Family of Internet Connected Garage Door Openers

Arrayent customers are major brand owners who understand that Internet connected products are better because they provide the consumer a better experience, and maximize customer lifetime revenue. Arrayent fills the Internet-connect gap at the lowest BOM cost, easiest installation effort and lowest implementation risk. Arrayent’s Internet-Connect System™ connects to over 100,000 big brand owner’s products. For more information, please contact: [email protected] Ph: 650-260-4520 www.arrayent.com

LiftMaster, the world’s largest manufacturer of professionally installed garage door openers and access systems, has announced that Microchip’s certified RF Design Partner, Arrayent, as its strategic partner to Internet enable LiftMaster’s MyQ family of garage door openers. MyQ is LiftMaster’s wireless home area network that connects LiftMaster’s garage door openers to web and smartphone applications. LiftMaster garage door openers connect to the Internet through LiftMaster’s MyQ Gateway that is based on Arrayent’s very low cost residential gateway reference design. 70 percent of American homeowners now use the garage door as their primary entranceway into their homes. “It is exactly because the garage door has become the homeowner’s front door that we were driven to search out a low cost, highly reliable Internet connect technology that was easy to install”, said Mark Karasek, Ph.D., executive vice president engineering & chief technology officer. Mr. Karasek also said, “After exhaustive investigation we determined that Arrayent’s technology was the perfect match for meeting our cost and reliability goals for connecting LiftMaster products to the Internet, and at the same time enable an easy installation process.” “Very low product BOM cost is our customer’s primary concern,” said Shane Dyer, Arrayent’s president, “Microchip’s PIC18F67J60 MCU with its integrated Ethernet MAC/PHY enables Arrayent to deliver a residential gateway reference design that is more than one fourth the cost of a conventional Internet gateway design. The Arrayent low cost gateway became the compelling solution for Mark and his team.” Read more about the LiftMaster MyQ gateway here. Arrayent’s Internet Connect Solution Arrayent’s Internet-Connect Service™ is used LiftMaster and other large companies that seek to Internet connect their products, but do not want to re-invent a home grown system that will be expensive to build and maintain. Arrayent Internet-Connect product architecture moves expensive communication processing tasks out of the consumer’s home and places them on Arrayent’s Internet-Connect Servers hosted in the Internet cloud. Arrayent’s Internet-Connect Servers are constructed as communications switch that scale linearly with endpoint volume to support millions of devices at very low operating cost. Ease of installation algorithms reside on the Arrayent Internet-Connect Server to ensure a just-works-install for the consumer, reducing the chance for a product return or expensive customer support calls. Read more about the Arrayent Internet-Connect Service here. For more information about Arrayent, please click here

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Mi c r o c h ip A r ound Tow n

– G e t t he la t e st up dates b y cl icking HERE!

Bangalore 20 - 22 July, 2011

Join Microchip Technology at Embedded Systems Conference 2011 in India

Register today!

Highlights include: yy Conference Presentations on July 20 (Wed): yy An industry keynote presented by Mr. Ron Cates, Director, Worldwide Sales Channel Enablement yy Mr. Harsha Jagadish, Applications Engineer, Personal Electronic Device Accessories Division will present the latest semiconductor solutions for intelligent electronic accessories including smart phone and tablets. yy Hands-on demonstrations and booth exhibits: yy 8-, 16-, 32-bit PIC® MCUs yy Metering solutions yy Lighting solutions yy Automotive applications yy Motor control solutions

Visit Microchip's booth, #A2 Click here to register now

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about Microchip’s embedded design technologies.

Register online, today at: http://www.esc-india.com/

www.microchip.com



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Mi c r o c h ip A r ound Tow n

– G e t t he la t e st up dates b y cl icking HERE!

Microchip MASTERs Conference Celebrates 15 years of Continuous Education This August, engineers from around the world will once again descend upon Phoenix for Microchip’s MASTERs Conference as we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Conference. The first MASTERs Conference was held back in 1997 and we have come a long way since then. Just to give you an idea of how long ago that was, in 1997 Clinton was president, the Packers had won the super bowl, we were still using Windows 95 and everyone was reading the first ‘Harry Potter’ story. The words “Blog”, “Twitter” and “iPod” did not exist. The MASTERs Conference was born from an idea to bring Microchip engineers from our Headquarter facility and from our field offices together with our customers and Design Partners and create an environment where we could all learn more about Microchip products and embedded control topics in general. That first year we offered 38 different classes and had about 190 attendees. The conference ran for 2 days with optional classes on Saturday. Fast forward to today where we are already preparing for the 2011 MASTERs in August. This year we will fill the largest hotel in Phoenix for the 4th consecutive year. We will bring more than 250 Microchip engineers from all over the world together with more than 600 customers and design partners for 5½ days of technical training and offer more than 90 different classes. The MASTERs Conference is one of the most unique, well respected technical conferences. We’ve come a long way in 15 years and we hope you can attend this August to enjoy the MASTERs experience. For more information visit our website at www.microchip.com/usmasters Don’t miss the 15th Annual MASTERs Conference The Worldwide Training Event for Embedded Control Engineers MASTERs Pre-Conference – August 22-23 MASTERs Conference – August 24-27 JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, Phoenix, AZ

Register today!

For more information and to register online, visit: http://www.microchip.com/usmasters

www.microchip.com



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Looking to Enhance Your Embedded Control Designs? training that is relevant to each attendee while eliminating the frustration often associated with attending classes that present too much known information or assume a level of knowledge beyond what the attendee currently possesses.

In tough economic times, companies often look for ways to trim expenses as a means to cope with a downturn in sales. One of the areas often targeted for cutbacks is employee training. There is not only the direct cost of the training to contend with, but also travel expenses and time an employee spends away from the job. During this challenging business climate, however, competitive pressures and technology changes don’t stop and it is training that can help a company be better positioned to take advantage of the potential upswing. Microchip, with its global network of Regional Training Centers (RTCs) and third-party training partners, is here to help companies stay competitive with cost-effective, local training. To help companies deal with issues of travel expense and time, classes are given not only in Microchip’s facilities, but are also taken on the road. Customized customer premise sessions can be scheduled offering the most convenience. Time away can be managed more efficiently with the flexibility of half or full day class sessions. To be effective in teaching, instruction must take into account the needs and expertise level of the attendee. Microchip’s Regional Training Center classes are developed to provide a coordinated flow, enabling engineers to implement a solution to their product development needs. Instruction is developed and presented in product, technology and implementation classes that are grouped into application based curriculum. Each curriculum flow enables the individual to engage with the training at a level that meets his or her current knowledge and needs. The intent is to provide

Product/tool classes provide knowledge on how Microchip’s products and development tools operate. This knowledge provides the foundation upon which all application instruction is based. Attendance at one of these classes can provide significant value through the reduction in time associated with instruction manuals and data sheet review or trial and error attempts to learn individually. Market forces constantly press companies to add functionality and features to their products often outside their areas of core competence. As a result, engineers must continually broaden their knowledge base. Microchip’s technology classes are intended to help engineers gain an understanding of a new field. Implementation classes combine elements of product and technology instruction to teach engineers how to design a real world application. Classes at this level provide how-to instruction rather than what or why instruction. Microchip is currently offering classes in the following curriculum: DSP, Ethernet, Human Interface, Motor Control, Power Management, Signal Chain, System Design and USB. Future curriculum is expected to include CAN/LIN, IrDA®, Lighting and RF. With a worldwide network of Regional Training Centers and certified third-party trainers, Microchip makes it easy to enhance your technical skills, with locations in nearly every metropolitan area across the world! For those organizations who desire to have a number of employees attend a course at the same time, Microchip can customize any curriculum to meet your specific needs. Our instructors arrive at your location with all presentation materials and equipment, making it easy for your whole team to benefit from a specific course topic in one setting. In addition to the instruction, most Regional Training Center classes offer the opportunity to purchase a set of the development tools used in the class at a discounted price. If the class you are interested in is not scheduled in your area, you can sign up to receive an alert when a session is scheduled. For information on scheduling custom in-house training, contact your local RTC directly or visit the Microchip RTC web site: www.microchip.com/RTC

For a complete list of classes and locations, visit www.microchip.com/RTC

www.microchip.com



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What’s New in Microchip Literature? Doc. Type

Doc. Title

DS No.

MCP651/1S/2/3/4/5/9 Data Sheet MCP621/2/4/5/9 Data Sheet Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) Battery Charge Management Controller with Input Overvoltage Protection Data Sheet MCP1804 - 150 mA, 28V LDO Regulator With Shutdown MCP3903 Six Channel Delta Sigma A/D Converter PIC18F87K22 Family Data Sheet PIC24FJ16MC101/102 Data Sheet PIC16(L)F1825/29 Data Sheet PIC16(L)F1782/3 Data Sheet PIC16(L)F1507 Data Sheet MRF24WB0MA/MRF24WB0MB Data Sheet dsPIC33FJ16GP101/102 and dsPIC33FJ16MC101/102 Data Sheet ZENA Wireless Adapater Information Sheet Info Sheet dsPIC33FJ16MC102 and dsPIC24FJ16MC102 PlugIn Module Information Sheet PIC24FJ256GA110 Family Silicon/Data Sheet Errata Errata PIC24FJ256GA110 Family Silicon/Data Sheet Errata dsPIC30F6011A/6012A Errata dsPIC33FJ32GS406/606/608/610 Errata PIC16(L)F1933 Errata PIC24FJ256GB210 Family Silicon/Data Sheet Errata PIC24FJ256DA210 Family Silicon/Data Sheet Errata PIC32MX534/564/664/764 Errata PIC24FJ32MC101/102 Errata dsPIC33FJ16GP101/102 and dsPIC33FJ16MC101/102 Errata Miscellaneous Uninstalling Incorrect USB Drivers Data Sheet

22146C 22188B 22191D 22200C 25048A 39960D 39997B 41440B 41579B 41586A 70632B 70652C 51987A 51989A 80368K 80369M 80457C 80489F 80490G 80504D 80505D 80511D 80527A 80528A 51417E

Doc. Type

Visit our Technical Documentation page at www.microchip.com to view the documents.

Doc. Title

DS No.

FRM Section PIC24F Family Reference Manual, Sect. 5. Data EEPROM dsPIC33F/PIC24H Family Reference Manual Section 45. High-Speed Analog Comparator dsPIC33F/PIC24H Family Reference Manual Section 44. High-Speed 10-bit ADC User's Guide PICDEM™ 2 Plus Demo Board User's Guide MPLAB® C Compiler for PIC24 MCUs and dsPIC® DSCs User's Guide MPLAB Assembler, Linker and Utilities for 16-bit Devices User's Guide Energy Monitoring PICtail™ Plus Daughter Board User's Guide PIC18F87J72 Single-Phase Energy Meter Calibration User's Guide PIC18F87J72 Evaluation Board User's Guide ZENA™ Wireless Adapter User's Guide Motor Control Starter Kit User's Guide Application Li-Ion/Li-Poly Battery Charge with MCP73871 Application Note Note PIC32 Bootloader

39720B 70296C 70321D 41584A 51284K 51317J 51933A 51964A 51990A 70664A 75015A 01260B 01388A

The Microchip name and logo, the Microchip logo, dsPIC, KeeLoq, KeeLoq logo, MPLAB, PIC, PICmicro, PICSTART, PIC32 logo, rfPIC 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, MXDEV, MXLAB, SEEVAL and The Embedded Control Solutions Company are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. Analog-for-the-Digital Age, Application Maestro, CodeGuard, dsPICDEM, dsPICDEM.net, dsPICworks, dsSPEAK, ECAN, ECONOMONITOR, FanSense, HI-TIDE, In-Circuit Serial Programming, ICSP, Mindi, MiWi, MPASM, MPLAB Certified logo, MPLIB, MPLINK, mTouch, Octopus, Omniscient Code Generation, PICC, PICC-18, PICDEM, PICDEM.net, PICkit, PICtail, REAL ICE, rfLAB, Select Mode, Total Endurance, TSHARC, UniWinDriver, WiperLock and ZENA 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. All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective companies. © 2011, Microchip Technology Incorporated, Printed in the U.S.A., All Rights Reserved. RETURN TO FRONT PAGE

www.microchip.com


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What’s New @

microchip DIRECT

Are you having problems getting inventory? Buy Direct From Microchip Technology using microchipDIRECT

microchipDIRECT Now Makes It Easier To Find Third-Party and Academic-Friendly Development Tools! Two new categories have been added to www.microchipDIRECT.com making it easier to find third-party development tools that compliment Microchip’s solutions and low-cost, academic-friendly tools for educators and students. How to access the new categories: Select the products pull-down menu:

Microchip offers the most comprehensive on-line resource for pricing, ordering, inventory and support directly from Microchip Technology. microchipDIRECT offers:

••The largest inventory of Microchip products ••Secure ordering using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) ••Competitive pricing on all Microchip and third party products ••Apply for a Microchip business account and credit line ••High volume price quotes ••No handling charge for small orders ••Assign PO and internal part numbers to your orders ••Schedule and change order delivery dates up to 12 months out ••Change/add multiple ship to locations to your account ••Check order history and delivery status on-line and much more...

Third-Party Tools Select 3rd Party Tools from the Development Tools Menu:

Academic Tools Select Academic Tools from the Development Tools Menu:

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www.microchip.com



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