Microchip’s MCU to Enhance Wireless Motor Control in Harsh Environments
Microchip has announced the new PIC32-BZ6 family of high-performance wireless system-on-chip (SoC) microcontrollers. Included in the release is the PIC32WM-BZ6 wireless module built around the SoC. The PIC32-BZ6 family integrates motor control, flexible wireless and wired multi-protocol connectivity, security, and touch-based human interface control.
New PIC32-BZ6 family.
All variants include Bluetooth LE (6.0), Thread, CAN-FD, and other wireless protocols. The SoC is built around a 32-bit, 128-MHz Arm Cortex-M4F processor. The family sits in the “CX” or mid-performance slot in Microchip’s PIC32 line and comes equipped with 2 MB of flash and 512 KB of SRAM. The module includes RF certification and a U.Fl connector.
The PIC32-BZ6 family (datasheet linked) hosts a number of features that make it a candidate for automotive and industrial applications: a broad set of wireless and wired connectivity, extensive motor control capability, powerful processor core, generous memory, built-in human interface functionality, harsh environment capability, and strong security, among others.
A New Mid-Performance Wireless Module
The PIC32WM-BZ6204UE module comes on an 83-pin chip carrier PCB, including a center thermal pad and support components. The 10 mm x 10 mm SoC is situated under a metal shield and adds a micro-FL connector. The key ingredient is the RF certification that comes with the module.
PIC32WM-BZ6 wireless module, front and back.
This enables the development and production of larger devices without the need for an independent RF certification process. It includes certifications under FCC, CE, UKCA, and ISED.
Emphasis on Wireless and Wired Functionality
Microchip designed the PIC32-PZ6 to combine flexible wireless connectivity with powerful motor control. It is qualified to AEC-Q100 Grade 1 (125°C maximum operating temperature) for automotive and industrial applications. It comes with a Bluetooth LE (6.0) core and 802.15.4 support. This includes Thread, Matter, Zigbee, and Microchip proprietary protocols. For wired installations, the chip supports CAN-FD, 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, and USB 2.0 full-speed.
Human interface comes with up to 18 channels of capacitive voltage divider (CVD) touch-screen capability. Output can use the low-cost controllerless (LCC) graphics to directly drive 8-bit color on a 480 x 272 TFT display.
PIC32CX-BZ6 block diagram.
The SoC comes with a generous set of motor control support functionality. It has multiple hardware PWM interfaces (up to 32), 12-bit ADCs, 7-bit DACs, analog comparators, and quadrature encoders.
Security and Reliability
Microchip included hardware security to ensure the chip's survival in today’s often-high-threat environments. It starts with secure boot with an immutable root of trust. It follows with a hardware cryptographic accelerator for AES (128-, 192-, and 256-bit keys), SHA (SHA-256 and SHA-384), RSA (1024- and 2048-bit keys), and ECC security. A NIST 800-90B true random number generator adds to the security mix. The Bluetooth 6.0 engine includes 6.0-level security, including encrypted advertising data, advertising coding selection, and LE GATT security-level characteristics.
Packaging, Support, and Availability
The released version of the SoC comes in a 10 mm x 10 mm x 0.9 mm, 132-lead DQFN package. Future releases will come in 9 mm x 9 mm x 0.9 mm 64-lead VQFN and a 7 mm x 7 mm x 0.9 mm 48-lead QFN package. The module is a 19 mm x 25 mm x 2.75 mm land grid-array PCB chip carrier.
The part is fully supported by Microchip MPLAB IDE and can run the Zepher open-source, real-time operating system. MPLAB Harmony V3 supports the chip and module for modular firmware interoperability. Firmware developers can get a head start with the PIC32-BZ6 Curiosity Board development platform. It includes the PIC32WM-BZ6204UE, headers for Click boards, Xplained Pro headers, USB Type-C programming interface, MHII Ethernet, CAN-FD, an antenna, and multiple pin headers.
