Microchip Technology Unveils PIC16F946 Microcontroller
Microchip Technology Inc. (Chandler, AZ), a provider of microcontroller (MCU) and analog semiconductors, announced the PIC16F946 (PIC®) MCU with an integrated liquid-crystal display (LCD) module. The combination of LCD module, lower power consumption, and the high level of peripheral integration reduces the total system cost in many applications, including automotive, instrumentation/measurement, appliance, industrial, consumer, and communications. The PIC16F946 adds to Microchip's LCD PIC microcontroller family, providing easy access to varying pin counts and levels of performance, and support for a wide selection of LCD segments.
The PIC16F946 MCU features nanoWatt technology, which meets industry low-power design requirements, including the need to drive LCD displays in standby conditions. Integrated peripherals include high-endurance data EEPROM, a stable internal oscillator, a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter, serial communications peripherals, and the ability to implement a low-power real-time clock.
The PIC16F946 is supported by Microchip's standard development systems, including the MPLAB Integrated Development Environment, the MPLAB ICD 2 In-Circuit Debugger, and the MPLAB ICE 2000 In-Circuit Emulator. A PICDEM™ LCD demo board (part #DM163028) and a LCD daughter board (part #MA160011) are also available. In addition, an online design center is available to aid in the development of utility-metering products at http://www.microchip.com/meter. The new PIC16F946 LCD MCU is now available for general sampling and volume production in a 64-pin TQFP package.
