Designed for motor control and communication applications as well as medical devices such as sleep apnea machines, signal controllers and microcontrollers are offered with USB starter kits and plug-in modules. The 60 MIPS 16-bit dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs) and PIC 24 microcontrollers (MCUs) from Microchip Technology, Chandler, AZ, offer an increased Flash memory capacity of 536 KB, I/O capability with 144-pin packages, and real-time embedded-control capabilities over the previous-generation dsPIC DSC/PIC24 MCU core.

The increased capacity signal controllers and microcontrollers also feature 52 KB of RAM, a USB 2.0 OTG interface, and expanded motor-control, graphics, and audio capabilities versus the previous core. To support the DSCs and MCUs, the supplier also offers USB starter kits that can be used for stand-alone development and development platforms for high-impact user interfaces. Five plug-in modules are also offered that can be used in conjunction with multimedia expansion boards and motor-control development kits. Additionally, 30 software libraries and application notes are available on topics including speech and audio, encryption and decryption, communications, and motor control.