A MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC. PUBLICATION Intruder Proof

A MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC. PUBLICATION SEPT/OCT 2015

Intruder Proof Driving the 8-bit Bidirectional 6 19 MCU Evolution 27 IoT A MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC. PUBLICATION SEPT/OCT 2015

COVER STORY NEW TOOLS 4 Satisfy Your Curiosity 19 Driving the 8-bit MCU Evolution New Development Board Provides Cost-Effective and Fully Integrated Entry into Designing with Microchip’s 8-bit PIC® Microcontrollers TECHNOLOGY 21 MOST® Technology in the News NEW PRODUCTS 6 Intruder Proof Latest Family of eXtreme Low Power PIC Microcontrollers DESIGN CORNER Offers Double the Flash Memory and New Security Options 23 Tired of Embedded Design Bottlenecks? 8 More to Love New Additions to Popular PIC32MX and PIC32MZ 25 Overcoming a Noisy World Families Offer Wide Variety of Features for Designers of Next-Generation Embedded Systems 27 Bidirectional IoT 10 A Connector Revolution 29 Blast Off! Cost-Effective UTC2000 Supports Radically Updated USB-C™ Connector 32 Defying the Odds 11 Seamless Migration New Family of Highly Configurable, Low-Power Embedded DEV TOOL DEALS Controllers Allows Mobile Computing Designers to Easily A Harvest of Savings Reuse IP Across Multiple x86 Platforms 22 13 Advanced Industrial Connectivity Enhanced Industrial Ethernet Switches Feature IEEE 1588-2008 Precision Time Protocol and Low-Power Options 15 Is it Hot in Here?

contents Save Design Effort, Space and Cost with the New MCP9600 Integrated Thermocouple to Degrees Celsius Converter 17 Simple Solution Industry’s First MOST150 Coaxial Transceiver Enables Powerful, Robust and Cost-Efficient Automotive Infotainment Networks

The Microchip name and logo, the Microchip logo, dsPIC, FlashFlex, KEELOQ, KEELOQ logo, MOST, MPLAB, mTouch, PIC, PICmicro, PICSTART, PIC32 logo, rfPIC, SST, SST Logo, SuperFlash and UNI/O are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. FilterLab, Hampshire, HI-TECH C, Linear Active Thermistor, MTP, SEEVAL and The Embedded Control Solutions Company are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. Silicon Storage Technology is a registered trademark of Microchip Technology Inc. in other countries. Analog-for-the-Digital Age, Application Maestro, BodyCom, chipKIT, chipKIT logo, CodeGuard, dsPICDEM, dsPICDEM.net, dsPICworks, dsSPEAK, ECAN, ECONOMONITOR, FanSense, HI-TIDE, In Circuit Serial Programming, ICSP, Mindi, MiWi, MPASM, MPF, MPLAB Certified logo, MPLIB, MPLINK, Omniscient Code Generation, PICC, PICC-18, PICDEM, PICDEM.net, PICkit, PICtail, REAL ICE, rfLAB, Select Mode, SQI, Serial Quad I/O, Total Endurance, TSHARC, UniWinDriver, WiperLock, ZENA and Z-Scale are trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. SQTP is a service mark of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. GestIC and ULPP are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Germany II GmbH & Co. & KG, a subsidiary of Microchip Technology Inc., in other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective companies. © 2015, Microchip Technology Incorporated, All Rights Reserved.

2 EDITOR’S NOTE

How Secure Do You Want to Be?

ata security is crucial to the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT). A MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC. PUBLICATION SEPT/OCT 2015 As more devices connect—carrying information about our homes, our Dbusinesses, our communities and ourselves—the need for safe and secure communications that protect our data and our identities has become paramount. Long recognizing the importance of security in IoT applications, Microchip recently announced its collaboration with Intel to implement Intel® Enhanced Privacy ID (Intel EPID) technology into its products. With more than 1.1 billion Intel EPID certificates already deployed, this sophisticated, proven approach to device authentication provides both security and privacy for the on-ramp to the IoT.

Intel EPID technology is designed to protect data from device to cloud and minimize unauthorized access of Intruder Proof Driving the 8-bit Bidirectional endpoints and gateways. Intel EPID provides authen- 6 19 MCU Evolution 27 IoT tication, allowing a service provider to verify that an end user belongs to a group authorized to access Don’t Miss the Next Issue of that service. Its device-based technology also helps MicroSolutions protect end-user privacy, enabling individuals to Published six times a year, receive the service without revealing their identities. MicroSolutions is a valuable resource Since devices are verified as part of a group, individual for product and technology news users cannot be traced by the service provider. about Microchip’s innovative solutions. Subscribe today to receive With our deep experience in technologies crucial Demonstration of the Intel EPID email notifications when each new to the IoT—including intelligent devices, embedded Protocol running on Microchip’s issue of MicroSolutions is ready. Use communications and low-power capabilities—our IT Security Platform at Intel the link below: integration of the Intel EPID standard along with Developer Forum 2015 CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE other security features into our products can help you maintain end-to-end security and privacy in your IoT products and services. We are committed to providing the very best IoT solutions by helping to enable the safe and secure interoperation of your ‘things’ with Intel’s devices, gateways and servers. Visit our Internet of Things Design Center to learn more about how we can assist Find Us on These Social Channels you to successfully develop a secure, cloud-connected embedded system.

As always, we would be happy to get your feedback on MicroSolutions. Feel free to email us at [email protected].

Microchip Technology Inc. 2355 W. Chandler Blvd. | Chandler, AZ 85224 | www.microchip.com

3 COVER STORY SATISFY YOUR CURIOSITY

New Development Board Provides Cost-Effective and Fully Integrated Entry into Designing with Microchip’s 8-bit PIC® Microcontrollers Offering Students, Makers and Professional Designers Unparalleled Access to Core Independent Peripherals

oday’s 8-bit PIC microcontrollers are assisting designers to build innovative, state-of-the art Tproducts for use in a wide range of applications. While the basic technology goes back many years, Microchip has been constantly rolling out 8-bit devices with more performance and memory, as well as with flexible intelligence, to meet the requirements of increasingly complex embedded designs. The latest 8-bit PIC MCUs incorporate Core Independent Periph- erals (CIPs), which are on-board modules that are designed to handle a variety of tasks with no code or supervision from the CPU. Some PIC MCUs also offer integrated Intelligent Analog modules to enable simple, efficient solutions that are easy to implement. Design- ers can take advantage of all of these sophisticated features to create lower power and more cost-effective designs than ever before.

(continued on page 5)

4 Your Tool for Function COVER STORY Enablement If you are ready to harness the power of modern 8-bit PIC MCUs, your embedded design idea has a new home. The More Than a Starting Point Curiosity Development Board (DM164137) is a cost-effective, Priced at just $20, the Curiosity Development Board gives you fully integrated 8-bit development platform targeted at first- more for your money. Designed to expand its capabilities as time users, makers and anyone who is seeking a feature-rich, your needs grow, it can be operated as an all-in-one develop- rapid prototyping board. Its layout and external connections ment platform or it can be customized to suit your specific offer unparalleled access to CIPs, making it the perfect- plat needs. It was developed to take full advantage of the MPLAB® X form for function enablement in a wide range of applications. Integrated Development Environment and MPLAB Code The Curiosity Development Board supports all low-voltage, Configurator. The Curiosity Development Board also includes programming-enabled 8-bit PIC MCUs in 8-, 14- or 20-pin PDIP an integrated programmer/debugger and requires no additional packages. For the ultimate in flexibility, you can power it via USB, hardware to get started. 5V internal or 5V external sources.

Ready for the Internet of Things The Curiosity Development The Curiosity Development Board can help you quickly bring your Internet of Things design idea to life. Out of the box, the Board offers unparalleled development board offers several user interface options including physical switches, an mTouch® capacitive button and an access to Core on-board potentiometer. Bluetooth® Low Energy communication can easily be added using the on-board footprint to connect Independent Peripherals. a Microchip RN4020 module (sold separately). If you would like to add some cool functionality to your design, the on-board mikroBUS™ interface footprint allows you to plug in one of MikroElektronica’s nearly 100 inexpensive Click boards to add Share Your Curiosity features ranging from GPS to alcohol sensing. Do you need a few ideas for architecting your next design? The Curiosity Development Board is the perfect tool for sharing and acquiring new design ideas. To spur creativity, Microchip offers a series of tutorials, complete with bill of materials, user code and application notes. These helpful design tips can be found in the Curiosity Design Center. We also encourage you to join the Microchip Forums, share your ideas and become part of the growing community.

Microchip’s Curiosity Development Board is a cost-effective, fully integrated 8-bit development platform

5 Intruder Proof NEW PRODUCTS Latest Family of eXtreme Low Power PIC® Microcontrollers Offers Double the Flash Memory and New Security Options

PIC24 “GB4” MCUs Protect Embedded Data for Wearable and Other Low-Power Applications

ecuring data is one of the key challenges of today’s executing application code from the other. These advanced Internet of Things (IoT) world. To be successful, a wear- features make the PIC24F “GB4” family ideal for designers of Sable or other IoT-enabled application must be capable industrial, computer, medical/fitness and portable applications of protecting sensitive user data against intrusions of privacy that require secure data transfer and storage and a long battery while also delivering long battery life and effortless connectivity life. Offered in 64-, 100- or 121-pin packages, these MCUs also to the Cloud, many times within a space-constrained design. are small enough to fit in many designs. Finding a microcontroller that meshes well with these project requirements can be difficult. The new PIC24F “GB4” As the latest additions to our eXtreme Low Power (XLP) PIC microcontroller (MCU) portfolio, the new PIC24F “GB4” family family includes an integrated includes an integrated hardware crypto engine with both OTP and Key RAM options for secure key storage, up to 256 KB hardware crypto engine. of Flash memory and a direct drive for segmented LCD displays. Dual-partition Flash with Live Update capability allows the devices to hold two independent software applications, and To protect embedded data, several Microchip Core Independent permits the simultaneous programming of one partition while Peripherals (CIPs) that run without the CPU are integrated into the PIC24F “GB4” family. The fully featured hardware crypto engine—which includes support for the AES, DES and 3DES standards—reduces software overhead, lowers power consumption and enables faster throughput. A Random Number Generator is used for generating random keys for data encryption, decryption and authentication, enabling a higher level of security. For additional protection, the PIC24F “GB4” family offers the flexibility of choosing from two crypto-key storage options: One-Time-Programmable (OTP) to prevent overwriting keys, or Key RAM that erases keys if power is lost. A Vbat pin can be used to supply back-up power, allowing the application’s Real-Time Clock to continue running when primary power is removed.

The PIC24F “GB4” family is ideal for designers of industrial, Further reducing system component count, a segmented LCD computer, medical/fitness and portable applications display driver provides the ability to directly drive up to 512

(continued on page 7)

6 segments, enabling more informative and flexible displays that include descriptive icons and scrolling. NEW PRODUCTS

Development Support These latest PIC24F microcontrollers are available with USB The PIC24F “GB4” family is supported by Microchip’s (PIC24FJXXXGB4XX) and without USB (PIC24FJXXXGA4XX) standard suite of world-class development tools, including for immediate sampling and production volumes from the PIC24FJ256GB410 Plug-In Module (MA240038) for the microchipDIRECT or from Microchip’s worldwide Explorer 16 Development Board (DM240001). distribution network.

7 More to Love NEW PRODUCTS New Additions to Popular PIC32MX and PIC32MZ Families Offer Wide Variety of Features for Designers of Next-Generation Embedded Systems

Broadened Portfolio of Leading Performance 32-bit Microcontrollers Simplifies System Design Through Integration

icrochip’s PIC32 microcontrollers offer a combination code. They boast a wide variety of rich features, including up of best-in-class performance, larger memory configu- to 50 MHz/83 DMIPS performance for executing advanced Mration and a range of peripherals to meet the growing control applications and mTouch® capacitive touch sensing. needs of the embedded connectivity markets. From simple USB Additional features include an enhanced 8-bit Parallel Master device connectivity to RTOS-driven graphical user interface Port (PMP) for graphics or external memory, a 10-bit, 1 Msps, applications with advanced audio processing, there is a PIC32 13-channel Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), support for SPI device to meet your design challenges. Some recent updates and I2S serial communications interfaces and USB device/host/ to our PIC32 portfolio give you even more reasons to love and On-the-Go (OTG) functionality. Coupled with Microchip’s com- choose these powerful and popular MCUs for your next design. prehensive software and tools for designs in graphics, touch sensing and general-purpose embedded control, they are Larger Memory and Smart Peripheral Mix Reduces ideal for developing consumer products with capacitive touch Development Costs for Touch-Sensing and Embedded- screens, touch buttons or sliders, as well as USB device/host/ Control Applications OTG connectivity. These MCUs are also well suited for medical A new series within our PIC32MX1/2 family features a large and industrial applications. 256 KB Flash configuration and 16 KB of RAM in small-footprint packages. These latest additions bring flexibility to low-cost These latest PIC32MX1/2 MCUs are supported by the applications that need complex algorithms and application PIC32MX270F256D Plug-in-Module for Explorer 16 Devel- opment Board (MA320014). Devices are available in 28-pin QFN, SPDIP and SSOP packages and 44-pin QFN, TQFP and VTLA packages and can be purchased from microchipDIRECT or from Microchip’s worldwide distribution network.

New PIC32MZ EF Series Includes Integrated Hardware Floating-Point Unit and Other Advanced Features for High-End Applications As the second generation within our popular PIC32MZ family, the 48-member PIC32MZ EF series features an integrated hardware Floating-Point Unit (FPU) for high performance and lower latency in intensive single- and double-precision math applications. This new series also offers a 12-bit, 18 Msps ADC for a wide The PIC32MX1/2 family features a large 256 KB Flash configuration and 16 KB of RAM in small-footprint packages

(continued on page 9)

8 array of high-speed, wide-bandwidth applications. Additionally, the PIC32MZ EF supports an extensive DSP instruction set. The NEW PRODUCTS combination of DSP instructions, a double-precision FPU and a high-speed ADC improves code density, decreases latency and accelerates performance in process-intensive applications.

The PIC32MZ EF series is powered by Imagination’s MIPS M-Class™ core at 200 MHz/330 DMIPS and 3.28 CoreMarks™/MHz, along with dual-panel, up to 2 MB live-update Flash, 512 KB RAM and the widest selection of connectivity peripherals in the entire PIC32 MCU portfolio, including a 10/100 Ethernet MAC, Hi-Speed USB MAC/PHY and dual CAN ports. If your embedded application requires a better graphics display, the PIC32MZ EF in the Low Cost Controllerless Graphics (LCCG) configuration can support up to a WQVGA display without the added cost of external graphics controllers. The new series of PIC32MZ EF MCUs offers a 12-bit, 18 Msps ADC for a wide array of high-speed, wide-bandwidth applications There are 12 MCUs with 512 KB of Flash, 24 MCUs with 1 MB of Flash and 12 MCUs with 2 MB of Flash. The superset family members and their package options are 64-pin QFN (9 × 9 mm) and TQFP (10 × 10 mm) for the PIC32MZ2048EFH064; 100-pin migration into professional integrated development environ- ® TQFP (12 × 12 and 14 × 14 mm) for the PIC32MZ2048EFH100; ments, such as Microchip’s MPLAB X Integrated Development 124-pin VTLA (9 × 9 mm) for the PIC32MZ2048EFH124; and Environment (IDE). 144-pin TQFP (16 × 16 mm) and LQFP (20 × 20 mm) for the All 48 members of the PIC32MZ EF series are available now PIC32MZ2048EFH144. for sampling and volume production and can be purchased An optional, full-featured hardware crypto engine is also available from microchipDIRECT or from Microchip’s worldwide with a random number generator for high-throughput data distribution network. encryption/decryption and authentication (e.g., AES, 3DES, SHA, MD5 and HMAC). The crypto engine is integrated into 16 of the PIC32MZ EF MCUs. The superset MCUs with an integrated crypto A Unified Development engine are the PIC32MZ2048EFM064, PIC32MZ2048EFM100, Environment PIC32MZ2048EFM124 and PIC32MZ2048EFM144. Accelerating product cycles and rapidly evolving customer demands are increasing time-to-market pressures on design- Four new PIC32MZ EF development tools are also available. ers. Microchip’s award-winning MPLAB Harmony Integrat- These include the complete, turn-key PIC32MZ Embedded Con- ed Software Framework supports both the PIC32MX and nectivity with FPU EF Starter Kit (DM320007), the PIC32MZ PIC32MZ families, providing a modular, pre-tested and easy- Embedded Connectivity with FPU and Crypto Starter Kit to-use GUI based development ecosystem that helps ease (DM320007-C), the PIC32MZ2048EF PIM Explorer 16 Plug-In integration, reduce testing and speed adaptation to quickly Module (MA320019) and the PIC32MZ EF Audio 144-pin PIM changing market demands. These devices are also supported for Bluetooth® Audio Development Kit (MA320018). by the free MPLAB X IDE, within which Harmony operates, The PIC32MZ EF series is also featured in the new version of as well as the MPLAB XC32 Compilers. The MPLAB ICD 3 the Arduino® compatible chipKIT™ Wi-FIRE Development In-Circuit Debugger (DV164035) and MPLAB REAL ICE™ Board, available from Digilent, Inc. This board provides easy In-Circuit Emulator (DV244005) are also available to further access to professional applications and libraries targeting new ease your product development with these 32-bit MCUs. PIC32 users. It enables rapid prototype development and eases

9 A Connector NEW PRODUCTS Revolution Cost-Effective UTC2000 Supports Radically Updated USB-C™ Connector

Enables Simple and Quick Implementation of Popular Reversible-Plug Connector for USB Devices and USB Cabling

uilding on many years of consumer familiarity and trust, emerging USB-C standard at the entry-level market tier. This new the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has revolutionized device allows designers of a wide range of applications to simply, Bthe wired connectivity world and secured the ubiquity quickly and cost-effectively implement the USB-C connector in of USB for years to come with the introduction of the radically products, speeding time to market and minimizing bills of mate- updated USB-C™ connector. This slim, user-friendly and revers- rials. Housed in a 16-pin QFN package, the UTC2000 controller’s ible 24-pin interconnect was designed to provide a long-lasting small form factor also enables the deployment of USB-C con- and robust solution for a wide range of computing, display nectors in mobile applications. and charging applications. By expanding the overall capabili- The UTC2000 allows you to upgrade your existing product to the ties of the USB ecosystem, the USB-C cable is now poised to USB-C connector with minimal design time, resources and risk. become the “universal” cable. It is capable of supplying data Offering the blazing-fast transfer speeds of SuperSpeed USB 10 transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps, 100W of continuous power Gbps (USB 3.1) at the lowest cost point, it supports up to 15W flow and ultra-high-bandwidth video capabilities made available of power, which is ideal for consumer applications including through alternate modes—all with a single connection and cable. notebooks, printers and accessories, docking stations, mobile Learn more about the features of the USB-C connector in our devices and battery chargers; industrial applications including Application Note 1953: Introduction to USB Type-C™. computers and handheld devices; and automotive applications Microchip is well known for its full complement of robust USB such as head units, break-out boxes and USB battery chargers, solutions. With the addition of the UTC2000 USB-C controller among others. By leveraging our expertise with the USB-C to our leading portfolio of USB devices, we now support the standard, you can be confident of meeting all requirements for USB-C compliance as you integrate the UTC2000 controller into your new products.

Development Support The UTC2000 USB-C controller is supported by the UTC2000 Evaluation Kit (EVK-UTC2000), which enables you to easily convert a traditional USB connector for an Upstream Facing Port (UFP) or Downstream Facing Port (DFP) to a USB-C connector.

The UTC2000 is available now for sampling and volume production from microchipDIRECT or from Microchip’s worldwide distribution network. The UTC2000 allows you to upgrade your existing product to the USB-C™ connector with minimal design time, resources and risk USB Type-C and USB-C are trademarks of USB Implementers Forum.

10 Seamless NEW PRODUCTS Migration New Family of Highly Configurable, Low-Power Embedded Controllers Allows Mobile Computing Designers to Easily Reuse IP Across Multiple x86 Platforms

MEC14XX Family Supports Intel® Corporation’s New Enhanced Serial Peripheral Interface (eSPI) and Existing Low Pin Count Interface (LPC) to Communicate with the System Host

or more than 15 years, the Low Pin Count (LPC) interface designs, the MEC14XX family also provides a flexible has capably served the computing market. However, it has arrangement that allows multiple I/O signals to be configured to Flimitations as computing platforms continue to transition support either 3.3V or 1.8V, reducing the system bill-of-materials to lower voltages and as devices transition to smaller lithog- cost by eliminating the need for external voltage translators. raphies. As a result, Microchip has worked closely with our industry partners and our customers to stay on the forefront of defining, implementing and validating Intel® Corporation’s new This scalable family of Enhanced Serial Peripheral Interface (eSPI). We are proud of our contributions to the new eSPI and expect it to serve the needs devices is one of the first of the market well into the future.

We are pleased to introduce the MEC14XX family of highly to support both the eSPI configurable low-power embedded controllers customized to the needs of x86-based notebook and tablet platform designers. and the LPC interface. This scalable family of devices is one of the first to support both the eSPI and the LPC interface. To ease the mobile computing industry’s transition to the new interface and lower-voltage These features of the MEC14XX family also allow for a seamless migration of intellectual property (IP) reuse across multiple x86 computing platform architectures, such as Intel Atom™, Intel iCore™ and AMD-based systems. This is also Microchip’s first embedded controller family targeting general x86 computing that includes support for our award-winning MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environment and its related tool suite.

The MEC14XX devices are offered with a choice of 128 KB, 160 KB or 192 KB of closely coupled SRAM for code and data that loads from SPI-Flash. You can leverage the host SPI-Flash (used for BIOS storage) for nonvolatile EC firmware storage as a cost-effective system solution. The added choice of either the Low-power embedded controllers for notebook and tablet PCs MEC140X LPC interface devices or the MEC1418, which supports both the LPC and eSPI interfaces, allows you to select

(continued on page 12)

11 the most cost-effective device for a particular platform and provides manufacturers the ability to preserve their investments NEW PRODUCTS as the industry transitions. All members of the MEC14XX family are pin and register compatible. The MEC1404 (128 KB SRAM), MEC1406 (160 KB SRAM) and MEC1408 (192 KB SRAM) embedded controllers support the Development Support Intel LPC interface. The MEC1418 (192 KB SRAM) embedded Each member of the MEC14XX family is based on our 32-bit controller supports both the Intel LPC and eSPI interfaces. PIC® MCU architecture and is supported by development tools All MEC14XX devices are currently offered in a 128-VTQFP that include the MPLAB XC Compilers, the MPLAB REAL package. They can be ordered from microchipDIRECT or from ICE™ In-Circuit Emulator (DV244005), the MPLAB ICD 3 Microchip’s worldwide distribution network. In-Circuit Debugger (DV164035) and the PICkit™ 3 Starter Kit (DV164130).

12 Advanced Industrial NEW PRODUCTS Connectivity Enhanced Industrial Ethernet Switches Feature IEEE 1588-2008 Precision Time Protocol and Low-Power Options

LAN9353/4/5 Three-Port 10/100 Ethernet Switches Provide Multiple Microcontroller Data Interfaces for Maximum Flexibility

n a world that is becoming increasingly connected to the motion-control, embedded, automotive, security/surveillance Internet of Things, Ethernet has emerged as the de-facto and telecommunications applications. wired interconnect standard. Ethernet connectivity has Featuring the IEEE 1588-2008 Precision Time-stamp Protocol Ibecome ubiquitous in communications and networking prod- (PTP) standard for clock accuracy in the tens-of-nanoseconds ucts as industrial-control manufacturers and IT professionals range, these highly integrated Ethernet switches offload both have embraced this standard. This well-understood technology synchronization and communications processing from the provides a robust link to ensure reliable communication between host CPU. You can also take advantage of advanced features devices in a network. Today’s developers need compelling new such as Transparent Clocking, which improves system accu- connectivity options that feature flexibility and ease ofintegration racy. These devices also incorporate Energy Efficient Ethernet for their designs. (IEEE802.3az) and Wake On LAN to reduce overall system In a recent expansion to our reliable, high-quality, and power consumption. high-performance portfolio of Ethernet solutions, which The LAN9353, LAN9354 and LAN9355 support widely adopted includes Ethernet switches, controllers, bridges and PHYs, industry standards, such as Media Independent Interface (MII), we have added the LAN9353, LAN9354 and LAN9355 Three- Reduced Media Independent Interface (RMII), Serial Man- Port, 10/100 Industrial Ethernet Switches. These switches agement Interface (SMI), Turbo MII, I2C and SPI/SQI™ com- enable the development of advanced hardware in the rapidly munication interfaces, along with digital I/O. This gives you growing Industrial Ethernet market, including automation, the flexibility to select from a wide range of microcontrollers, Systems-on-Chip (SoCs) or processors to interface with this family of switches. To ensure easy installation and network expansion, as well as minimal maintenance, these switches also support 100BASE-FX fiber and copper, along with cable diagnostics that enable system designers and their end users to determine cable opens, shorts, length to fault and cable length, providing a cost-effective way to extend Ethernet networks over long distances.

Development Support The EVB-LAN9353, EVB-LAN9354 and EVB-LAN9355 evaluation boards are available to enable your development The LAN9353, LAN9354 and LAN9355 Three-Port, 10/100 Industrial Ethernet Switches enable the development of advanced hardware with the LAN9353/4/5 Three-Port 10/100 Ethernet Switches.

(continued on page 14)

13 Supporting various system architectures, these hardware systems demonstrate how to interface with the switches NEW PRODUCTS through basic input/output connections, or with microcontrollers such as the 32-bit PIC32MX family via serial communications. Each of these new evaluation boards is also supported The LAN9353 is available in 64-pin QFN and TQFP-EP by a Software Development Kit (SDK), which enables you to packages, the LAN9354 in a 56-pin QFN package, and the immediately start device evaluation, familiarize yourself with the LAN9355 in 88-pin QFN and 80-pin TQFP-EP packages. All features and begin building solutions for your applications. three devices can be ordered for sampling and volume production from microchipDIRECT or from Microchip’s worldwide distribution network.

14 Is it Hot in Here? NEW PRODUCTS Save Design Effort, Space and Cost with the New MCP9600 Integrated Thermocouple to Degrees Celsius Converter

Complete Plug-and-Play Solution Integrates Precision Instrumentation, Temperature Sensor and High-Resolution ADC, Plus Math Engine Supporting Most Thermocouple Types

obust and accurate, thermocouples are the most Converter (ADC), along with a math engine preprogrammed with common temperature-measurement devices used in a the firmware to support a broad range of standard thermocouple Rvariety of applications that must perform in harsh and types (K, J, T, N, S, E, B and R). extreme environments. Designers of industrial, consumer, automotive/aerospace and petrochemical applications rely on the ability of thermocouples to endure intense heat conditions while accurately measuring temperatures over extremely wide ranges. However, implementing discrete thermocouple-based solutions can be challenging because they require that designers have expertise in analog, mixed-signal and thermal design, as well as in firmware development to use a microcontroller’s math engine.

Eliminating the need for this design expertise while also lowering board area, cost and power consumption, the new MCP9600 combines precision instrumentation, a precision temperature sensor, and a precision, high-resolution Analog-to-Digital

The MCP9600 provides a complete plug-and-play solution for creating your thermocouple-based designs. It eliminates the need for creating precision instrumentation circuitry to accurately measure a thermocouple’s microvolt-level signal. You no longer need to design ADC circuitry for precise temperature calculations. With the MCP9600’s integrated cold-junction The MCP9600 Thermocouple IC Evaluation Board is available to evaluate all device features using a Type K thermocouple. compensation, calculating the “Hot” junction temperature

15 of a thermocouple doesn’t require you have thermal design expertise to precisely measure the reference temperature of the NEW PRODUCTS thermocouple’s “Cold” junction.

Other features of the MCP9600 include a temperature-data digital filter, which minimizes the effects of temperature fluctua- Development Support tions, system noise and electromagnetic interference. Its shut- The MCP9600 Thermocouple IC Evaluation Board down modes reduce overall system power consumption, while (ADM00665) is available to evaluate all device features using a its four user-programmable temperature-alert outputs reduce Type K thermocouple. It also supports Types J, T, N, E, B, S and the system microcontroller’s overhead and code space, further R by replacing the Type K thermocouple connector with one of simplifying designs. The MCP9600 comes in a 5 × 5 mm, these other types of connectors (not included with board). 20-lead mQFN package, which also reduces board area and The MCP9600 is available now for sampling and volume manufacturing cost. production from microchipDIRECT or from Microchip’s worldwide distribution network.

Revolutionary IoT: LoRa™ Workshop Monday, November 2 | 8:45 am - 4:30 pm | Waltham, MA

In this one-day, hands-on seminar, developers will learn about the LoRaWAN™ infrastructure, configure an easy-to-use Microchip LoRa modem and connect to both a private test network and public Senet network within the Boston area. Space is limited and registration is based on first-come, first-served basis. Agenda: Morning Session: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm •LoRa Technology and LoRa Alliance •Senet network •Microchip LoRa products SEATING IS LIMITED! Afternoon Hands-On Session: 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm •Private network playbook REGISTER TODAY •Public network playbook •Sample application playbook

LoRa and LoRaWAN are trademarks of Semtech Corporation

16 Simple Solution NEW PRODUCTS Industry’s First MOST150 Coaxial Transceiver Enables Powerful, Robust and Cost-Efficient Automotive Infotainment Networks

OS82150 Offers Exciting New Option to Easily Migrate from Optical to Coaxial Cabling

oday’s automotive market demands powerful infotainment With an integrated coaxial-cable receiver featuring an equalizing systems that include a navigation unit, antenna module, function, the OS82150 coaxial transceiver assures robust and amplifier, tuner, Blu-ray™ player, rear-seat entertainment, reliable network connectivity by providing automatic adaptation instrumentT cluster, head-unit display, camera and more. The to various cable types and continuous compensation for initial fully compliant MOST® infotainment network architecture, with and long-term cable loss effects. Designed for automotive-grade its robust physical layer and proven electromagnetic compatibil- electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), the device also integrates ity behavior, provides the means to distribute these multimedia functions to minimize electromagnetic emissions and handle entertainment functions among the various control devices automotive electromagnetic interference (EMI) levels, facilitating inside the car. smooth installations of MOST150 networks into vehicles.

Extending the usage of coaxial cabling to powerful automotive By seamlessly interfacing with MOST150 Intelligent Network infotainment networks based on the latest MOST150 standard, Interface Controllers (INICs)—such as our OS81110 and the OS82150 integrates a coaxial cable driver and coaxial cable OS81118BF—the OS82150 can be easily integrated into exist- receiver into a small-footprint, 4 × 4 mm QFN package. It offers ing designs. Additionally, the signal and timing specifications an exciting new option for designers to implement efficient info- of the OS82150 are compliant with the MOST Physical Layer tainment networks and to easily migrate from optical to coaxial Specification, ensuring interoperability. cabling, while protecting their existing investment in MOST150 Additional features of the OS82150 coaxial transceiver include technology. The design-in of the OS82150 is straightforward a low-power sleep mode with activity detection for wake-on- and total system costs are optimized. signal functionality to reduce power consumption and facilitate the power management of electronic control units (ECUs) in the vehicle. Support for dual-simplex transmission allows for a ring topology that enables expandability and scalability of the network. A single, 3.3 volt power supply further eases design-in, as only a single voltage level is needed.

Development Support o further enable development and speed your time to market, the OS82150 is supported by K2L’s OS81110 cPhy Evaluation Board and OptoLyzer® MOCCA BundlesT . The OS81110 cPhy Evaluation Board encapsulates The OS82150 integrates a coaxial cable driver and coaxial cable receiver into a small footprint an entire MOST150 network device. An integrated OS85650

(continued on page 18)

17 I/O Companion Chip (IOC) provides I/O port expansion for additional application flexibility. The OptoLyzer MOCCA Bundle NEW PRODUCTS combines the capabilities of the popular OptoLyzer Suite graphical user interface with the advantages of the OptoLyzer MOCCA multi-bus hardware interface.

The OS82150 is available for sampling and volume production. To place an order or to get additional information, contact any Microchip sales office.

EXPERIENCE MICROCHIP’S LATEST TECHNOLOGY FIRSTHAND AT CES 2016

JANUARY 6–9, 2016 BOOTH MP25655, SOUTH HALL 2 MEETING PLACE LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER, LAS VEGAS

Microchip will be back at CES next year with a bigger booth and exciting new product demos! Be sure to visit us and be among the ﬁ rst to see how Microchip’s broad product portfolio can help you succeed.

Stay tuned to www.microchip.com/ces for the latest information and to reserve an appointment to meet with us at the show.

18 Driving the 8-bit NEW TOOLS MCU Evolution Two New Boards Accelerate and Simplify Designs, Feature mikroBUS™ Click Board Sockets to Add a Wide Range of Capabilities

Seamlessly Integrate with Latest Version of MPLAB® Code Configurator Graphical Programming Environment

or the last 20 years, most 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) or several PIC MCUs simultaneously. Off-chip connections can vendors have essentially followed the same product be made in any manner you would like, and the off-board expan- Ffeature approach when releasing new products: add sion possibilities include several industry-standard interfaces in memory, expand pin count, increase the clock speed and add addition to a system of configurable connectors. Connections more of the same peripherals. But embedded system design include two MikroElektronika mikroBUS Click board sockets, a has changed, and even the smallest applications have increased 16-pin LCD module connector and a 20-pin custom header for in complexity. While other vendors are now decreasing their custom add-on boards. Several labs are available to get your investments in 8-bit technology, Microchip continues to intro- project started quickly, ranging from simple MCU configuration duce innovative, new 8-bit PIC® MCUs to meet the evolving to power conversion and Class D audio. needs of today’s designs. These devices feature Core Indepen- dent Peripherals (CIPs), which are building blocks that you can combine to perform application functions autonomously. CIPs can be interconnected with a growing number of integrated Intelligent Analog peripherals also available on 8-bit PIC MCUs. Because these functions are deterministically and reliably per- formed in hardware instead of software, CIPs enable system performance that is far beyond that of traditional MCUs. This integration of functions allows you to react quickly to changing market conditions with minimal code rewrites and very short validation cycles. We have introduced some new 8-bit development tools which, when combined with the Core Independent Peripherals, can significantly reduce your total design time.

The PICDEM™ Lab II Development Board (DM163046) is a development and teaching tool with an analog and mixed-signal Supporting the widest variety of 8-bit PIC MCUs, the Explorer 8 focus. It offers a large prototyping breadboard, allowing you to Development Kit (DM160228) enables a broad range of func- easily experiment with different values and configurations of tions including human interface, power conversion, Internet of external analog signal conditioning and drive components for Things, battery charging and many other applications. It also system optimization. This flexibility eliminates the hassle and has the greatest capacity for expansion in Microchip’s 8-bit expense of building a custom PCB in the early stages of a project. board lineup, with two Digilent Pmod™ interfaces, two The board is also modular, so you can design a system with one mikroBUS Click board sockets and two expansion headers for

(continued on page 20)

19 custom add-on boards that you can create as your development needs change. Explorer 8 also supports Microchip’s standard NEW TOOLS PICkit™ 3, MPLAB® ICD 3, and MPLAB REAL ICE™ programmers/debuggers. time by reducing burdensome datasheet research and code implementation, while the hardware CIPs eliminate the verification of functionality in complex control systems. The recently released Version 3.0 allows you to configure both individual peripherals and high-level system functions that combine several CIPs in just a few mouse clicks. MCC 3.0 also adds support for Microchip’s libraries, such as TCP/IP, custom LIN drivers, and serial bootloaders, with future expansion plans for mTouch® capacitive sensing, USB and RF protocols. We also plan to release a Software Development Kit that will allow you to add your own “often-used” 8- and 16-bit code snippets and/ or libraries into MCC 3.0 for easy integration and configuration.

All three of these tools are designed to fit within Microchip’s longstanding and free MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment and can be easily augmented via Microchip’s rich ecosystem, including development partners such as To further reduce development time with these next-generation MikroElektronika and Digilent. This platform enables you to MCUs, we recently released a Beta update to MPLAB Code rapidly and intuitively bridge the evolved 8-bit PIC MCU periph- Configurator (MCC), our free graphical programming envi- eral architecture with your application software, making it even ronment. MPLAB Code Configurator minimizes start-up easier to build functions and applications.

20 MOST® Technology TECHNOLOGY in the News

Audi Selects MOST150 Technology for New Audi Q7 SUV’s Virtual Cockpit Infotainment System Following a similar deployment in its TT Coupe models, AUDI AG is networking the Audi virtual cockpit system in its new, high-class Q7 SUV models using MOST technology. Audi is utilizing the OS81110 and OS81118 MOST150 Intelligent Network Interface Controllers (INICs), which provide 150 Mbps performance and support all MOST network data types. The OS81118 also includes a High-Speed USB 2.0 interface (PHY/HSIC) to seamlessly connect with the virtual cockpit’s System-on-Chip processor. More Information.

PSA Peugeot Citroën Implements MOST150 Technology in Aircross SUV Concept Car’s Infotainment System PSA Peugeot Citroën is networking the coaxial-cable infotainment system of its Aircross SUV concept car using MOST technology, utilizing Microchip’s OS81110 and OS81118 MOST150 Intelligent Network Interface Controllers (INICs). The strik- ing Citroën Aircross SUV concept car was shown at the 66th International Motor Show (IAA) Cars held this September in Frankfurt, Germany. More Information.

Toyota Continues Rollout of MOST50 Networking Devices with New Toyota Alphard and Vellfire Car Models’ Infortainment Systems MOST50 Intelligent Network Interface Controllers (INICs) are powering the infotainment systems of the new Toyota Alphard and Vellfire executive-lounge vehicles. These are the latest deployments among a wide variety of the Toyota Motor Corporation’s brands, which have been using MOST50 in their infotainment systems for many years, including both volume and luxury vehicles. In the new Alphard and Vellfire implementations, Toyota is using MOST technology to ensure high-quality digital audio streaming throughout the vehicles. More Information – Alphard More Information – Vellfire

21 A Harvest DEV TOOL DEALS of Savings

ather up some of these October Dev Tool Deals to help you with your next design project. To take Gadvantage of these special sale prices, go to www.microchipdirect.com and add the item to your cart. Add the coupon code during checkout. These are limited-time offers so act quickly to get yours while the deals are still available and supplies last.

PICkit™ Low Pin Count Demo Board (DM164130-9) microchipDIRECT Coupon Code: TP1538

The PICkit Low Pin Count Demo Board can be used for prototyping circuits using low pin count PIC® microcontrollers such as the 20-pin PIC16F1829-I/P MCU already populated on the board or the 20-pin PIC18F14K22-I/P that is also chipKIT™ Pi Development Board by included separately. Save almost 40% and get element14 (TCHIP020) one today. microchipDIRECT Coupon Code: TP1540

Designed for use with Raspberry Pi® and Arduino® ecosystems, MCP6S22 PGA PICtail™ Demo the chipKIT Pi features a 32-bit PIC32 microcontroller in a Board (MCP6S22DM-PICTL) prototyping-friendly, low pin count SPDIP package. The PIC32 MCU’s microchipDIRECT Coupon Code: TP1539 performance, memory and integrated peripherals allow you to create Used to evaluate and demonstrate the a variety of applications including touch sensing, audio processing MCP6S21/2/6/8 and MCP6S91/2/3 Programma- and advanced control. The board is supported by the free chipKIT ble Gain Amplifier (PGA) families, the MCP6S22 Multi-Platform IDE (MPIDE) that can be hosted on the Raspberry Pi. Get PGA PICtail™ Demo Board is on sale now for your chipKIT Pi for the sale price of $22.99. over 25% off the regular price.

MiWi™ Protocol Demo Kit – 2.4 GHz MRF24J40 (DM182016-1) microchipDIRECT Coupon Code: TP1541

Evaluate and develop low-power wireless applications based on Microchip’s wireless protocols with the MiWi Protocol Demo Kit – 2.4 GHz MRF24J40. This kit includes two demo boards that are pre-programmed with the MiWi protocol stack. Each board contains an MRF24J40MA module, a PIC18 XLP microcontroller and an LCD display and can be powered by two AAA batteries. Order yours today and save 50%.

22 Tired of Embedded DESIGN CORNER Design Bottlenecks?

PIC32MX1/2/5 Value Family of 32-bit Microcontrollers Delivers More for Less

re you looking for reliable, high-performance and audio; an enhanced Parallel Master Port (PMP); a 48 channel, scalable solutions for your increasingly complex embed- 1 Msps Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) and various serial Aded system design challenges? Our feature-packed interfaces. Available in packages as small as 5 × 5 mm and in PIC32MX1/2/5 Value Family of 32-bit MCUs can help unleash low pin counts (28, 36 and 44 pins) for space-constrained and your innovative side, offering you compelling solutions with compact designs, these devices also come in 64- and 100-pin a smart mix of peripherals for a wide range of cost-sensitive packages to minimize the risk of I/O limitations and to support applications including the Internet of Things (IoT), Bluetooth® higher feature integration. connectivity, digital audio, touch, graphics, industrial connec- In addition to their rich mix of integrated hardware peripheral tivity/control, automotive infotainment and fleet management. features, these MCUs work in synergy with Microchip’s pow- This series of 32-bit MCUs offers up to 83 DMIPs performance erful MPLAB® Harmony software development framework, and large, scalable memory configurations that range from 16 KB which simplifies the software development process by inte- Flash/4 KB RAM all the way up to 512 KB Flash/64 KB RAM. grating the license, resale, and support of Microchip and It boasts rich features that include USB 2.0 with device, host, third-party middleware, drivers, libraries, and Real-Time Oper- and OTG functionality; Controller Area Network (CAN) 2.0B for ating Systems (RTOS). This means you can significantly reduce industrial/automotive applications; SPI/I2S peripherals for digital your development time using Microchip’s readily available software packages, such as Bluetooth audio development suites, Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP) library, audio equalizer filter libraries, decoders (including AAC, MP3, WMA, WAVE, and SBC), sample-rate conversion libraries, CAN2.0B PLIBs, USB stacks and graphics/mTouch® technology libraries.

A number of development tools are available, providing an easy and low-cost means to experience the features and functionality of the PIC32 Value Family. These include:

Starter Kits • PIC32 Bluetooth Starter Kit (DM320018) • PIC32MX1/2/5 Starter Kit (DM320100)

(continued on page 24)

23 Plug-in Modules (PIMs) and Daughter Cards • PIC32MX270F512L 100-pin PIM for Bluetooth Audio DESIGN CORNER Development Kit (MA320017) • PIC32MX570F512L 100-pin USB/CAN PIM for the Free Microchip Tools Explorer 16 Development Board (MA320015) • MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment (IDE) • PIC32MX270F256D 44-pin PIM for Bluetooth Audio • MPLAB XC32 Compiler for PIC32 Development Kit (MA320013) • PIC32MX270F256D 44-pin PIM for Explorer 16 Software Development Development Board (MA320014) • MPLAB Harmony software development framework • Audio Codec (AC320100) Daughter Card for PIC32 • Extensive, readily available software packages/libraries Bluetooth Starter Kit From now through December 31, 2015, you can save 25% on • Audio DAC (AC320032-2) Daughter Card for some select tools during our PIC32 Value Family Dev Tool Sale. PIC32 Bluetooth Starter Kit Order yours today to accelerate your embedded design!

24 DESIGN CORNER

Overcoming A Noisy World

Enhanced EMI Rejection for Today’s Amplifier Circuits

ith the rapid expansion of wireless capabilities that the electronics industry has seen over the years, the Wpresence of electromagnetic interference, or EMI, is becoming a larger issue for designers. EMI is a disturbance that can affect any electrical system, either through radiated electromagnetic energy or through conducted electromagnetic energy. Radiated EMI can be generated from a variety of sources outside of the electrical system, such as mobile phones, wireless gaming controllers, wireless headsets and radio transmitters. Conducted EMI can also come from a variety of sources. One common source is radiated EMI that couples onto the traces and wires within an electrical system. Conducted EMI may also Figure 1: Standard amplifier with no EMI filtering be generated within the system itself, such as from a switching power supply. By implementing a passive low pass filter external to the op EMI affects amplifier circuits by causing a shift in the offset amp input pins, the effects of this high-frequency interference voltage which causes performance degradation. For example, can be reduced, as shown in Figure 2. in Figure 1, a simple sine wave is passed through an amplifier circuit. However, the presence of high-frequency interference, in this case from a cell phone, causes a voltage shift in the output waveform.

Legend

Cell Phone Op Amp Interference Output Signal

Figure 2: Standard amplifier with external filtering (continued on page 26)

25 Although the performance is better with an external filter, there is still substantial degradation in the output signal. Amplifi- DESIGN CORNER er manufacturers have taken steps to minimize the effects of these unwanted signals. For example, Microchip’s MCP642X operational amplifier features integrated second order filters Min. Typ. Max. Units Conditions on the input pins to enhance EMI rejection. By integrating the Vin = 100 mVpk, – 77 – dB filters directly on-chip, the adverse effects of EMI can be greatly 400 MHz reduced. This result is shown in Figure 3. Vin = 100 mVpk, – 92 – dB 900 MHz

Vin = 100 mVpk, – 97 – dB 1800 MHz

Vin = 100 mVpk, – 99 – dB 2400 MHz

Table 1: EMI rejection performance table from the MCP642X Datasheet

Microchip continues to expand its portfolio of amplifiers featuring enhanced EMI rejection. Table 2 highlights the current Figure 3: MCP642X Amplifier with no external filtering list of amplifiers with on-chip EMI filtering.

For more information and to explore solutions for minimizing The typical performance of these filters is available in the the adverse effects of EMI, please refer to AN1767: Solutions MCP642X datasheet, as shown in Table 1. A 100 mVp signal for Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Interference in at common EMI frequencies is subjected to the input of the Amplifier Circuits. amplifier, and the resulting shift in offset at the output ofthe amplifier is measured. Experiments have shown that the integrated, on-chip filters enhance the rejection of these unwanted interference signals by over 40 dB, or a factor of 100.

Max EMIRR @ EMIRR @ Part Type Vdd Offset Iq/Ch GBW Package 1.8 GHz 400 MHz Voltage SC70, SOT-23, MCP6421/2/4 Op amp 1.8–5.5 ± 1 mV 4.4 µA 90 kHz 97 dB 77 dB MSOP, SOIC, TSSOP SC70, SOT-23, MCP6V61/2/4 Op amp 1.8–5.5 ± 8 µV 80 µA 1 MHz 101 dB 80 dB TDFN, MSOP, TSSOP SC70, SOT-23, MCP6V71/2/4 Op amp 2.0–5.5 ± 8 µV 170 µA 2 MHz 96 dB 75 dB TDFN, MSOP, TSSOP MCP6V81/1U Op amp 2.2–5.5 ± 9 µV 500 µA 5 MHz 101 dB 90 dB SC70, SOT-23 MCP6V91/1U Op amp 2.4–5.5 ± 9 µV 1100 µA 10 MHz 93 dB 88 dB SC70, SOT-23 MCP6N16-001 INA 1.8–5.5 ± 85 µV 1.1 mA 500 kHz 106 dB 103 dB MSOP, 3 × 3 DFN MCP6N16-010 INA 1.8–5.5 ± 22 µV 1.1 mA 5 MHz 106 dB 103 dB MSOP, 3 × 3 DFN MCP6N16-100 INA 1.8–5.5 ± 17 µV 1.1 mA 35 MHz 106 dB 103 dB MSOP, 3 × 3 DFN Table 2: List of Microchip amplifiers featuring enhanced EMI ejectionr

26 DESIGN CORNER

Bidirectional IoT

Choosing the Right Protocol to Send Data to Remote Devices Contributed by Ubidots

he Internet of Things (IoT) is not only about millions of walking in front of it, send promo codes to the shoppers’ phones things talking to us; it is also—more importantly—about depending on their gender and age, or maybe even play with Tus being able to talk back to them. Let’s take retail analy- the store lights to set a specific ambience. Being able to control sis applications as an example. Suppose a retailer has a sensor devices would certainly enrich the IoT experience in retail and that counts how many people enter and leave the store. This in almost every other market that has yet to be impacted by the data is reported to the cloud, where a nice web interface helps IoT. Taking action based on that feedback loop will allow the IoT the store analyze the shoppers’ behavior in real time, compar- to realize its full potential. ing store performance among multiple stores, or seeing how the visitor-to-customer rates change over time, especially when Two-Way Communication for the IoT launching a marketing campaign. This solution is, in fact, a From a technical perspective, communication from the cloud to growing IoT niche with several suppliers who are helping the device has turned out to be more complex than the tradi- thousands of retailers optimize their sales performance. tional communication from the device to the cloud. Why is that? The Internet was originally designed in a client-server model, where the client was always the initiator of the request. So far, this has allowed devices to initiate the communication when- ever they need to push data to the cloud. But what happens if the server needs to push data to a client without the client first making a request? Web developers have come up with some techniques to overcome this challenge. Here are three options that we consider more “portable” to the embedded world.

The most basic way to solve this communication problem is called short polling—a method where the client periodically asks the server if there is new data available for it. This is the Based on these metrics, imagine the possibilities if the system simplest solution to code, though it is not recommended if you could automatically control devices inside the store. It could need to notify a device in real time. display contextual advertising based on the number of people

(continued on page 28)

27 The next option is long polling. In this case, the client performs the request and the server won’t respond until it has something DESIGN CORNER to send. This enables real-time push notifications from the cloud to devices, though it requires the device to leave the connection open for as long as it needs to listen to the server. Using this to the right. We couldn’t have achieved this amount of process- ® technique consumes more energy and also risks the loss of the ing with other Arduino like boards. Read our “Pushing Data to connection. Consider the case where a device remotely con- a chipKIT Board with an LED Maxtix” article on the Ubidots trols the door of a truck. If a long poll request has been made, Team Blog for more information on how this project was built. and then the truck goes into a tunnel, the mobile connection will drop. The device will then need additional logic to kill the hung connection and open a new one.

A third option is to use newer protocols like CoAp or MQTT, for example, which were designed to provide low latency, small packet sizes and stable communication over weak networks. These newer protocols provide a two-way communication channel, which in turn supports push notifications. This makes them good choices for IoT projects requiring the ability to control connected devices in real time. The only downside could be the lack of firmware libraries and examples for embedded devices, which are significantly more abundant for HTTP- based connections.

Choosing the right protocol will depend on your application and how often you will need to communicate with a device. In Support for Your Sensing Project the sample project described below, short polling was chosen Ubidots is a cloud-based application development platform that because the data needs to be updated only every minute and not only adheres to the web standard (HTTP), but it is specifical- because handling the LED matrix while leaving an open socket ly designed for the IoT, providing a rich set of API functions that would require more processing power. developers can understand. In addition, we work closely with our users to deploy customer-specific API interfaces to suit their Hands-on Practice needs, from traditional TCP/UDP endpoints that talk binary data In this example, we wanted to explore how to use the short to more advanced protocols like MQTT or CoAP. polling method to push data from the Ubidots cloud to a chipKIT™ Uno32™ Development Board using a chipKIT When developing projects for the IoT, embedded engineers Wi-Fi® Shield. Our example assumes that there is a people expect a robust backend to store sensor data, the ability to counter sending data to Ubidots, after which our chipKIT device perform tasks like computing math or statistical operations over will read the last value of the counter and display it in an LED that data, the ability to trigger alerts or web-hooks based on matrix. Note that the memory and processing power of the sensor readings and, of course, the ability to create user-friend- chipKIT board allowed us to control the LED matrices while ly interfaces for their end customers. These are all services that being able to poll the Ubidots cloud, as shown in the two images Ubidots provides to help you capture, store and make sense of your sensing project.

28 DESIGN CORNER

Blast Off!

Photo Credit: NASA

Students Prepare Embedded Intelligence Research Systems to Soar on International Space Station

ow many high school students can say that they have Researchers send their projects to the ISS in a payload called a sent a research project into space? With the assistance NanoLab, a 10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm box in the CubeSat form Hof a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) factor that can be plugged into the NanoRacks research plat- outreach by Texas A&M University, in collaboration with form via a USB port, allowing the monitoring and control NASA, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space of experiments. (CASIS), NanoRacks, Texas Space Technology Applications and Research (T STAR) and several other organizations, a growing number of students and both private and public secondary schools around the United States are being provided with the inspiration, resources and engineering training to create a research project that might ultimately end up orbiting the Earth on the International Space Station (ISS).

Research in Space CASIS, a non-profit organization, has been selected by NASA to manage the U.S. National Laboratory on the ISS. Their mission NanoRacks research platform on the International Space Station is to drive greater utilization of our nation’s only orbiting laboratory, including student research. Over the past ten years of con- (Photo Credit: NanoRacks) tinuous research, more than 400 microgravity experiments have Enter the NanoRacks Embedded Systems Interface Board been conducted on the ISS in a wide spectrum of potential applications including human biology and medicine, plant Researchers need some sort of platform to work within the science, materials science, physics and combustion and more. NanoLab. Existing embedded solutions for monitoring and con- In order to assist with this research, NanoRacks developed two trolling a wide variety of experiments possess some significant standardized research platforms that are permanently installed drawbacks. These include large size, insufficient memory and on the U.S. National Laboratory. The platforms offer a processing power or the lack of integration capability with the plug-and-play interface that allows research projects to connect systems currently available onboard the ISS. to the space station’s power and communications systems.

(continued on page 30)

29 As part of a STEM outreach, undergraduate Electronic Systems Engineering Technology (ESET) students from the Dwight Look DESIGN CORNER College of Engineering at Texas A&M University were introduced to a Houston-area high school teacher and her students who were preparing a research project to evaluate plant growth on the control capability. The experiment is scheduled to operate for ISS. With a deadline of just three months, the Mobile Integrated over a year while providing the NASA scientists with periodic Solutions Laboratory (MISL) at Texas A&M came up with the downloads of collected image data. NanoRacks Embedded Systems Interface (NESI+) board to meet the specific requirements of this particular project. However, recognizing the market need for this type of embedded system, the MISL then adapted the design for general use in a wide range of experiments conducted by researchers and students. It was spe- cifically developed to offer those with little experience in embedded electronics an easy-to-use hardware and software platform that can be used in countless configurations.

Recent Strata-1 meeting at the NASA Johnson Space Center for initial integration and fit testing for the NESI+ based monitoring and control system (Photo Credit: Texas A&M University; Pictured L-R: Vince Rodriguez – MISL Software; Kristen John – NASA-JSC/ARES; Lee Graham – NASA-JSC/ARES; Dakotah Karrer – MISL Hardware; Matt Leonard – T STAR)

NESI+ Board with NanoLab Overview of the NESI+ Board (Photo Credit: Texas A&M University) The NESI+ is a small form-factor, space-qualified hardware/ software system that interfaces directly with a NanoRacks ESET Team/Industry Collaboration Flourishes platform on the ISS from within a NanoLab payload. Offering a Leveraging the experience gained in monitoring and controlling number of features which are controlled by a PIC24FJ256GB106 experiments on the ISS, Texas A&M’s ESET team cultivated a microcontroller (MCU), it allows students to dive into the fields partnership with T STAR to expand the use of the NESI+ board. of embedded programming, electronics and hardware/software The NESI+ board and this partnership have allowed ESET and integration, all while experiencing the excitement of controlling, T STAR to successfully compete for NASA contracts. In fact, monitoring and recording their research experiments directly on the design is so unique that it was the only available solution the ISS. It includes: capable of meeting the requirements of a recent NASA exper- • Two power drivers iment being developed for Astromaterials Research and • LED lighting Exploration Science (ARES), known as Strata-1, at the speci- • Gas sensor fied price point. MISL faculty and undergraduate students have • Four resistive sensors completed the design and development of the monitoring and • Push button control subsystem and are working with representatives from • Camera T STAR and ARES to integrate and validate the operation of this • Two SD card slots dual NESI+ solution into the Strata-1 system. • Real time clock At the heart of this data collection system, the NESI+ controls • USB interface all aspects of the experiment, from initial deployment of the • I2C interface experiment to continued lighting control and photographic doc- • SPI and UART communication port umentation of the behavior of regolith (fine, pulverized mate- rial on the surface of airless bodies like the Moon, asteroids • Analog and digital expansion ports and comets) in various configurations. Late in 2015, NASA will • Programming/debugging header launch Strata-1 to the ISS with two NESI+ boards providing the (continued on page 31)

DESIGN CORNER

understanding of through-hole soldering and the ability to read schematics and data sheets. On the programming side, students work with a skeleton project that MISL developed in C, which allows the NESI+ board to be programmed with MPLAB X® IDE and a PICkit™ 3 In-Circuit Debugger. Multiple example pro- grams and code modules (hardware drivers) enable students with no previous knowledge to quickly learn how to program their experiments.

Overview of NESI+ components (Photo Credit: Texas A&M University)

Mentor-Based Educational Experience With a goal of promoting STEM to secondary school students, MISL and its partners are working to make the NESI+ board available to as many students as possible. MISL has established a mentor-based learning system which involves local educators as well as students and professors from Texas A&M. Teachers or supervisors in charge of student teams meet with the MISL team The NESI+ STEM outreach provides students with a hands-on to establish the goals of each experiment. Then the undergradu- engineering experience ate ESET student mentors meet weekly with their teams to (Photo Credit: Texas A&M University) review progress and discuss next steps. Students follow a checklist process when constructing their projects to help foster communication and reduce the possibility of making errors. An open-source NESI Community was created by MISL, which includes links to a GitHub software repository, the NESI+ sche- matic and bill of materials, and a series of code modules and videos to help students get started with their projects. A NESI Media Wiki contains additional learning resources.

Over the past several years, ESET students have assisted schools and students in creating projects for the now-retired NASA-HUNCH Extreme Science program as well as for the CASIS National Design Challenge program. This STEM outreach program is generating significant interest and motiva- tion in young people. The Texas A&M MISL is proud to be a member of this partnership and is glad that our long-term rela- tionship with Microchip is being leveraged to support each of ESET mentors meeting with their team via videoconference the project teams as they create experiments to be conducted (Photo Credit: Texas A&M University) on the ISS.

Thank you to Texas A&M University, the Center for the Advancement of The NESI+ board offers students the opportunity to learn a Science in Space (CASIS), NanoRacks and Texas Space Technology variety of engineering skills. It incorporates a number of hard- Applications and Research (T STAR) for their collaboration in producing this article for MicroSolutions. ware modules, most of which help students develop an

31 DESIGN CORNER

Defying the Odds

San Diego State University Robotic Submarine Aces Underwater Obstacle Course

hallenging young engineers to apply their STEM skills Teams from 38 schools around the world were on site with their outside the classroom, the International RoboSub AUVs to participate in the 18th annual International RoboSub CCompetition—which is co-sponsored by the Association Competition, held this past July in the TRANSDEC research pool of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and Office facility at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific of Naval Research (ONR)—also provides them with the oppor- in Point Loma, California. The theme of this year’s competition tunity to build relationships and possibly find future careers with was derived from the “Back to the Future” series of movies. The organizations involved in the high-tech field of maritime robotics. tasks that each robot had to perform included stopping and To participate in this annual event, school teams develop Auton- checking the flux capacitor (docking/interacting with buoys), omous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) that meet specific weight passing through the time portal (reaching 88 mph and passing and size requirements and that are capable of performing real- over an obstacle), refueling (dropping markers), setting the istic missions in an underwater environment. With no pilots or correct year (firing torpedoes through a cutout) and finding a wires to guide them, these vehicles need to be able to make way to return home (finding a pinger, grabbing an object and maneuvering decisions based on the environment around them. moving/releasing the object).

Participating for only the second time at this six-day event and competing against a number of high-caliber schools, the Mechatronics Club from San Diego State University brought their AUV to take on the underwater obstacle course. They had affectionately named their sub Defiance because the team was initially concerned about how well it could perform. Heading into the competition, they felt that the odds were stacked against them. They didn’t have all the materials they needed, they didn’t have a lot of time to test the AUV in the water and they were almost disqualified because the sub was close to the weight limit. The name, Defiance, was chosen because they wanted to defy their expectations and prove that they could win. Video coverage of Defiance in action during its finals run

(continued on page 33)

32 Defiance features two cameras, two torpedo launchers, a dropping mechanism and a versatile external frame that allows DESIGN CORNER easy placement of and access to the various components. Eight thrusters provide propulsion for forward, reverse, up, down, left, right, yaw, pitch and roll. Defiance is powered by The Mechatronics Club was able to qualify for semi-finals on the two lithium-ion cell batteries placed in parallel and features a first day of the competition and qualified for finals on the second collection of inertial, visual, and pressure sensors that enable day of the semi-final rounds. During the finals, they competed successful navigation through the course. A fully custom and against teams from the National University of Singapore, Mari- modular electronics package was developed for Defiance, time State University (Russia), California Institute of Technology, consisting of a passive backplane for use with eight daughter University of Arizona, Far Eastern Federal University (Russia) cards that utilize PIC24 microcontrollers for communication and and Amador Valley High School. In addition to accomplishing signaling. The PIC24 MCUs are essential for enabling commu- many of the tasks in the final obstacle course, Defiance was nication between the main computer and the various external able to go through the course so quickly that the team was also devices. They are used to determine the status of the batter- awarded a time bonus. This boost to their score moved them ies, the kill switch, the torpedoes and the dropper, and are into first place to win the cash prize of $6000. This was the first also responsible for motor control of the thrusters, interaction time in the history of the International RoboSub Competition with the pressure transducer, as well as various other tasks. that a team from San Diego had even made it to the finals, so The modular design allowed the electrical team to divide the the team was overjoyed with their success. electronics design, verification, and testing (DVT) into manage- While designing Defiance and preparing for this competition, the able modules to give all team members an opportunity to gain members of the Mechatronics Club were able to gain valuable hands-on experience with printed circuit board (PCB) design hands-on experience solving real-world challenges, priming and embedded systems programming. All of the vehicle’s high them to enter the workforce. They can now visualize how AUVs level functionality, including completing the obstacle tasks, will enable engineers and scientists to map the terrains of unex- image processing and object detection, serial communication, plored regions of lakes and oceans, search and safely disarm mission planning, 3D modeling and animation and navigation is mines in the water or collect data of various oceanic properties accomplished through the vehicle’s software system. The team over the course of weather changes and time. Some of these also developed a new, customizable Graphical User Interface students may very well be inspired to find careers in the exciting (GUI) for this year’s competition. field of maritime robotics.