Simplified design is ideal choice for low-power battery LCD applications

Microchip has a new family of low-power MCUs featuring CIPs and intelligent analogue for driving LCD. The nine member PIC16F19197 family includes a battery-friendly LCD drive charge pump; 12-bit ADC with computation (ADC2); a low-power comparator; and active clock-tuning of its high-frequency oscillator. They are the first 8-bit MCUs to be optimised for popular low-power and battery-powered touch-enabled LCD applications. The family consists of 28 to 64-pin devices with up to 56KB Flash and 4KB RAM. The charge pump ensures that LCD screens maintain consistent contrast even as battery-voltage drops. The ADC2 automates signal acquisition and processing tasks, making robust touch buttons and sliders easy to implement. Additionally, the Active Clock-Tuning feature provides customers with an extremely stable oscillator across the entire voltage and temperature operating range. The family is able to accomplish this entirely in hardware rather than relying upon software. The family also features a RTCC with battery backup and high-current I/O pins to directly drive the LCD backlighting. In addition, the IDLE/DOZE low-power modes and PMD extend battery life. All of these features are offered together with the ability to drive up to 360 LCD segments, making the family an ideal choice for battery-powered LCD applications.