Help Us Populate the Source Code Library

Do you have Microchip source code to share with the embedded design community? Why not upload it to the new Embedded.com Source Code Library?

mTouch™ Solution and Design Center for Touch Sensing Applications

I just saw this press release and thought it was interesting. I haven't looked at the app note or source code yet, but I think I will soon.

From the press release:

Touch sensing is fast becoming an alternative to traditional push-button user interfaces, because it requires no mechanical movement, and enables a completely sealed and modern-looking design. Expanding beyond the consumer market, touch sensing is beginning to take hold in medical, industrial and automotive applications for reasons such as aesthetics, maintenance,cost and cleanliness. Microchip enables engineers to add this leading-edge user interface to their designs, without the cost of fee-based licensing and royalty agreements. The Company’s full source-code solution further enables design engineers to integrate touch sensing functionality with their existing application code in a single microcontroller, thus reducing the total system cost associated with current solutions.

Available now, via a free download from Microchip’s Web site at www.microchip.com/mtouch, the Touch Sensing Software Development Kit comes complete with:

• Kit user’s manual with Quick-Start Guide for building a touch sensing application
• Application Notes covering hardware and software design practices, with example implementations for touch sensing solutions, including:

1. Introduction, AN1101
2. Layout & Physical Guidelines, AN1102
3. Software, AN1103
4. Multi-Button Systems, AN1104

• Graphical User Interface software tools for analysis of designs, utilizing Microchip’s PICkit™ Serial Analyzer Development Tool
• Source Code for a variety of sensing routines
• MPLAB® Integrated Development Environment, and the user’s manual
• 30-day license for HI-TECH’s PICC-Lite C compiler, and the user’s manual
• Frequently asked questions
  

AN1095, Emulating Data EEPROM for PIC18 and PIC24 MCUs and dsPIC DSCs

Microchip Applications Engineers David Otten and Stephen Cowden recently released a new app note that illustrates Data EEPROM emulation PIC18 and PIC24 MCUs and dsPIC DSCs.

Many applications store nonvolatile information in the Flash program memory using table write and read operations. Applications that need to frequently update this data may have greater endurance requirements than the specified Flash endurance for the device. The alternate solution of using an external, serial EEPROM device may not be appropriate for cost-sensitive or pin-constrained applications. This application note presents a third alternative that addresses these issues. This algorithm features an interface similar to an internal data EEPROM, uses available program memory and can improve endurance by a factor as high as 500.

Get more info from Microchip's website.

MiWi Wireless Networking Protocol Stack available as AN1066

One of Microchip's many applications groups recently released application note 1066 for the MiWi protocol stack. I haven't used it myself, but I attended a presentation on the wireless protocol a few months ago, and it peaked my interest.

The MiWi™ Wireless Networking Protocol is a simple protocol designed for low data rate, short distance, low-cost networks. Fundamentally based on IEEE802.15.4™ for wireless personal area networks(WPANs), the MiWi protocol provides an easy-to-use alternative for wireless communication. In particular, it targets smaller applications that have relatively small network sizes, with few hops between nodes, using Microchip’s MRF24J40 2.4GHz transceiver for IEEE802.15.4 compliant networks.

This application note covers the definition of the MiWi Wireless Networking Protocol Stack and how it works. The example Stack implementation data structures, usage and APIs are covered in this document, as well as resource requirements for this implementation. For completeness, the document also introduces several aspects of wireless networking, as well as key features of IEEE 802.15.4. However, it is assumed that the user is already familiar with the C programming language and IEEE 802.15.4. You are strongly advised to read the specification in detail prior to using the Microchip MiWi Wireless Networking Protocol Stack.

Most importantly, the software works with everybody's my favorite C compilers, MPLAB C18 for PIC18 and MPLAB C30 for PIC24/dsPIC30/dsPIC33. You can read more about MiWi here or get AN1066 here.