Improved MCU core upgrades programming efficiency

Microchip Technology Inc. will be providing enhancements to the MCU design supporting the company's mid-range 8bit PIC12 and PIC16 MCUs.

With the success of its existing mid-range core, the better core is believed to provide many technical improvements like more programs and data memories; deeper/enhanced hardware stack; added reset methods; 14 additional programming instructions, including "C" efficiency optimizations resulting in code size reductions; increased peripheral support; reduced interrupt latency and other enhancements.

Understanding the demand for better performance and peripherals within the 8bit MCU market, Microchip said the company continues to invest in its 8bit PIC MCU line to give a wide selection portfolio that addresses the needs of their existing and future customers.

The enhanced core employs the best elements of the existing mid-range core and offers added performance, while maintaining compatibility with existing mid-range products for true product migration. The better features help users to boost performance of up to 50 percent and code-size reductions of up to 40 percent for various algorithms and functions.

Well-coordinated integration
The new core facilitates higher levels of integration and the use of multiple peripherals without letting go performance. It also has a long-term expansion path for new peripheral support. These features result in application longevity, scalability, ease of design and overall versatility. An example peripheral support onboard the enhanced mid-range core includes Microchip's mTouch Sensing Solution module for touch-sensing user interfaces, LCD displays, multiple ADCs and pulse-width modulation modules, added timers and analog comparators.

Other feature enhancements are increased memory support with program flash addressability up to 56Kbyte and data RAM up to 4Kbye. This helps create more versatile codes with increased functionality for more complex applications, especially useful when developing code in the C programming language. With 14 more instructions, having a total of 49, the enhanced core optimizes program code and data handling, which reduces code space and improves efficiency with fewer clock cycles. It also helps to migrate with minimal effort among existing mid-range PIC MCUs; as well as up or down with PIC12, PIC16 and PIC18 MCUs.

Target applications
Mid-range PIC MCUs employing the enhanced core can target many general-purpose applications. Examples are household appliances (blenders, refrigerators and dishwashers); consumer/home electronics (athletic attire, handsets, phone chargers, electric shavers, vacuum cleaners); industrial (digital water heaters, security systems and heating, ventilating and air conditioning control); automotive (car audio, remote controls, power seats and lighting control); and medical markets (intelligent medical bandages, pregnancy testers, glucose meters and patient-monitoring equipment).

Third-party compiler support for devices utilizing the enhanced core will be provided by Hi-Tech Software, CCS, microEngineering Labs and Byte Craft Ltd.

Hi-Tech seeks to provide higher version of its C PRO ANSI C Compiler for the PIC10/12/16 MCUs. The better core's memory-mapped W register, simplified bank selection and multiple file-select registers give many opportunities for optimizing the compiler.

Expected launch
CCS' support will be available in ver 4.100 of its PCM and PCW compilers, which provide minimized system functions with the 16-level call stack using the more efficient MOVLP for page switches. Other enhancements include built-in functions for peripherals, translation of old or hard-coded addresses to use newly assigned SFR registers, the ability to use two FSRs for a reduction in the number of instructions, and advanced debugging support in the IDE compilers.

microEngineering Labs' PICBASIC PRO Compiler is seen to support the enhanced design with core-specific command libraries and extended RAM-bank switching. The compiler will integrate code optimizations to achieve the enhanced core's capabilities, and the meLabs programmers will also support the core.

Byte Craft Ltd expects to ship an enhanced PIC16-specific code generator in the optimizing C compiler of its MPC Code Development System. This system implements over two dozen intuitive data types, with ISO TR 18037 fixed-point and named-address support.

The first devices based upon the enhanced 8bit mid-range PIC MCU core will roll out in calendar Q1 09.

- Clive Maxfield
Programmable Logic DesignLine

Source: eetasia.com