Circuit Cellar Newsletter: Microcontroller Mania

Click here to subscribe to Circuitcellar.com

1 month ago

Html
Text

Infineon Introduces Industry's First 20 Gbps Universal USB Peripheral Controller, Microchip Introduces GUIs for MPLAB Harmony v3 and Linux Environments, and ST Launches Driver for Tougher Motor Drives

{View as Webpage}

Inspiring the Evolution of Embedded Design

October 08, 2024

Small Wonders

Infineon Introduces Industry's First 20 Gbps Universal USB Peripheral Controller

The EZ-USB FX20 comes in a 10 x 10 mm² BGA package and requires little PCB space. This enables BOM optimization and is ideal for space-constrained applications. It also supports direct USB-C connection without a high-speed signal multiplexer, simplifying the design process. The quick-start development kit includes firmware and a configuration tool for easy integration.

Microchip Makes it Easier to Build Sophisticated GUIs for MPLAB® Harmony v3 and Linux® Environments

Microchip Graphics Suite (MGS) provides an intuitive WYSIWYG interface with a modern design, enabling users to directly see and manipulate the final output, reducing errors and increasing efficiency. To make GUIs more accessible, MGS is versatile and can support a wide range of devices of varying performance. They can range from resource-constrained devices with significantly lower memory and system performance requirements to high-performance devices supporting tablet-sized touchscreens with high-fidelity video playback.

STMicroelectronics Launches Integrated High-Voltage Power Stage with Space-Efficient Evaluation Board for Smaller, Tougher Motor Drives

Suited to applications up to 500V, the PWD5T60 integrates a gate driver and six power MOSFETs with RDS(ON) of 1.38Ω, enabling the device to achieve an outstanding energy to area rating. Zero-drop bootstrap diodes are also built-in, requiring minimal external components to complete the circuit in only 30% of the board area of an equivalent driver built with discrete components. The propagation delays of high-side and low-side MOSFETs are closely matched, which eliminates cycle distortion and maximizes flexibility to set the operating frequency for optimum response and energy efficiency.

Did you know you can read full articles for FREE?

That's right - our free Starter Membership gives you access to 3 free articles a month.

Try this one:

How to Choose Between Bare Metal, RTOS and GPOS

Read Now

Editor's Desk by Kirsten Campbell

Beyond the Code

From low-power design to real-time processing, microcontrollers challenge engineers to innovate in ways that directly impact the future of embedded systems.

While system-on-chips integrate everything, microcontrollers take it a step further by optimizing for low power and single-task efficiency. Their combination of a CPU, memory, and peripherals in a single package makes them ideal for embedded tasks where power and space are limited, unlike SoCs used for general-purpose tasks. A key feature that engineers might appreciate is the microcontroller’s ability to go into ultra-low-power modes and still wake up in microseconds to handle tasks. Modern MCUs have ultra-low power modes with deep sleep currents in the nanoampere range while still retaining SRAM content. This is huge for lots of everyday devices.

As many of you know, designing microcontrollers requires blending knowledge from both digital and analog engineering. Peripheral interfaces like ADCs, DACs, and PWM controllers often involve analog components that work closely with digital logic, making MCUs an interesting design challenge for engineers.

What do you find the most challenging (or exciting) part of overall microcontroller design?

What would you like to see, more editorial or less, more of a particular topic, or less? Let us know. Reach out to the Product Editor

Ultra Slim Fanless Box PC Builds on Intel IOTG Alder Lake-N Processors

The MS-1P17 Ultra Slim Fanless Box PC by MSI is powered by Intel Alder Lake-N processors, providing a low-power solution in three variants for different performance needs. Its fanless 25mm design is aimed at space-constrained installations, while two 2.5 GbE LAN ports deliver fast, reliable networking for demanding environments.

Upcoming Events:

November 17-22, 2024

Atlanta, GA