Microchip Technology has launched the MPLAB Starter Kit for PIC18 Microcontrollers, which contain the components, documentation, schematics, debugging and programming capabilities required to evaluate the PIC18 8-bit microcontroller (MCU) family in low-power USB and touch-sensing applications.
According to Microchip, the new kit includes a development board featuring a 44-pin PIC18F46J50 MCU with nanoWatt XLP technology for mTouch capacitive touch sensing, Bosch Sensortec BMA150 accelerometer, and 64 KB flash program memory.
Hardware debugging and programming come integrated with the MPLAB Starter Kit for PIC18 Microcontrollers. Pre-programmed touch-sensing code, and the company’s free USB application stack and bootloader helps to eliminate the requirement for engineers to develop their own code, the company claims.
In addition, the board includes demo application software that enables it to read from the memory card (MSD), or function as a USB mouse or joystick (HID), or COM port (CDC) using the free Microchip stacks.
The company said that the new kit includes the Bosch Sensortec BMA150 digital triaxial accelerometer, which enables the PIC18 Starter Kit board to detect acceleration in 3 perpendicular axes for sensing the board’s tilt and motion.
Derek Carlson, vice president of development tools group at Microchip, said: “An increasing number of portable embedded applications require low power, touch sensing and USB communication. The MPLAB Starter Kit for PIC18 Microcontrollers is a complete development system with breakthrough affordability, integrated features and remarkable ease of use.”
