Microchip announces a new generation of 8-bit tinyAVR microcontrollers. All four devices have between 14 and 24 pins and 4KB or 8KB of Flash, and are the first tinyAVR microcontrollers to incorporate Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs). The new devices will be supported by START, an innovative online tool for the intuitive and graphical configuration of embedded software projects. “This announcement is very important to Microchip as it represents the union of the two most powerful 8-bit microcontroller brands in one place,” said Steve Sanghi, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Microchip Technology Inc. “To the Customers love PIC® and AVR® microcontrollers and Microchip is driving new product development, not only to continue to support it but also to expand the AVR portfolio.”
The new ATtiny817/816/814/417 devices offer all the features needed to foster product innovation, such as small footprint, few pins, and feature-rich peripherals with either 4KB or 8KB Flash memory. Other built-in features include: a kernel-independent Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) driver; event system (Event System) for cooperation between peripherals; custom programmable logic blocks; autoprogram for firmware updates; non-volatile data storage; 20 MHz internal oscillator; high-speed serial communication with USART; operating voltages from 1,8 V to 5,5 V; 10-bit A/D converter with internal voltage references; and sleep mode currents less than 100 nA in power-down mode with SRAM retention. CIPs allow peripherals to function independently of the kernel and include serial communication and analog peripherals. Together with the event system, which allows communication of peripherals without using the CPU, applications can be optimized at the system level. This decreases consumption and increases the performance and reliability of the system.
Along with the announcement of the four new devices, Microchip is increasing support for the new AVR family in START, the online tool for configuring software components and tailoring embedded applications. This tool is free and offers a streamlined environment that allows the user to focus on adding differentiating features to their application. For more information, visit the Microchip website at www.atmel.com/tinyAVR
