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Issue #204 July 2007
Are You Up for 16 Bits?
A look at Microchip's Family of 16-Bit Microcontrollers
by Jeff Bachiochi
Microchip Technology and Circuit Cellar have teamed up to bring you the Microchip 16-Bit Embedded Control Design Contest. Jeff introduces Microchip’s 16-bit microcontroller and digital signal controller (DSC) families. Are you up for the challenge?
Start | Microchip's 16-Bit Family |Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe | PIC24F | PIC24H | Need DSP? | dsPIC30/33 | Standard Features | Peripheral Pin Select | DSP | DMA | Jump-Start PCBs | SMPS for $750 | Think, Enter, Win | Sources & PDF
There will come a time when no matter how well you optimize your code, your favorite 8-bit microcontroller just won’t get the work done. That’s why Microchip Technology wants you to consider switching to one of its 16-bit MPUs.
If you’ve ever attended one of Microchip’s local seminars, you realize (as Microchip does) that gaining hands-on experience is an effective way to learn something new. While the articles presented in Circuit Cellar offer this experience to readers who later reproduce the featured projects on their own, the magazine also recognizes the power of incentives. That’s why Circuit Cellar runs design contests. There are numerous incentives for entering a contest. The most obvious incentives are cash, prizes, and notoriety. But let’s be honest: the best part is the excitement of creating a project.
I’m sure you’ve read an article or two in Circuit Cellar that was written by a past contest winner. Now it’s your turn to shine. Circuit Cellar and Microchip Technology have teamed up for the magazine’s first contest of 2007, the Microchip 16-bit Embedded Control Design Contest. Are you up for the challenge?
In this article, I’ll introduce you to Microchip’s 16-bit family of parts. I am always a bit apprehensive about leaving my comfort zone and trying a new part. If you haven’t used a 16-bit part, I hope this article piques your interest. As you’ll see, you can start working with a 16-bit part with a minimal amount of effort. I encourage you to take this opportunity to take the leap and enter the contest. After all, it’s really just a small step.
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