Automotive designers can now increase system capabilities with flexible and easy to use CIPs while connected to a high performing network
To meet the increased demand for bandwidth and flexible data rates for safety and communication in automotive applications and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), the new PIC18 Q84 family of microcontrollers (MCU) family transmits and receives data through a Controller Area Network Flexible Data-Rate (CAN FD) bus. Accompanied by an extensive array of Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) that handle a variety of tasks without requiring CPU intervention, the new MCU family cuts both time and cost when connecting systems to a CAN FD network.
The MCU family provides a simple solution for transporting sensor data to a CAN FD bus, without requiring gateways or sophisticated network switching techniques. Additionally, its configurable CIPs easily create custom hardware-based functions for automotive and industrial designs with near-zero latency with any additional code.
Available peripherals include a 32-bit Cyclic Redundancy Check with Scan (CRC/SCAN) and a Windowed Watchdog Timer (WWDT) for functional safety capabilities, and a Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) interface to implement industry-standard testing and debugging.
“CAN FD will continue to play a critical role in delivering faster data transfer rates for applications, ranging from the connected car to industrial automation and smart homes,” said Greg Robinson, associate vice president of marketing for Microchip’s 8-bit microcontroller business unit.
The PIC18 Q84 family is now available from Microchip Technologies. Also offered are both hardware and software support. Hardware includes a Curiosity Nano Development Board and a Curiosity High Pin Count (HPC) Development Board. A plug-in module (PIM) is also available for the Automotive Networking Development Board and for use with Microchip development boards. The software includes Microchip’s MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC).
