Microchip Technology Inc. has officially announced the expansion of its eXtreme Low Power (XLP) PIC32MM microcontroller family with the introduction of new “GPM” MCUs. These devices feature large memory in small packages offering ample battery life or space-constrained applications.
The latest offering carries several connectivity options, Core Independent Peripherals, and feature-rich development boards. These MCUs are ideally suitable for digital audio applications, gaming/entertainment devices, Internet of Things (IoT) sensor nodes and portable medical devices.
The new PIC MCUs are available with up to 256KB of Error Correction Code (ECC) Flash and 32KB of RAM which provides adequate space for application code and communication stacks. The devices have been rolled out with a variety of pin count options ranging from 28 to 64 pins. These are housed in compact packages measuring as small as 4×4 mm with 28 pins, 5×5 mm with 36 pins and 6×6 mm with 48 pins, optimizing the overall design footprint.

Microchip Announces the Expansion of eXtreme Low Power PIC32MM Microcontroller Family
(Image Courtesy: Microchip)
The GPM family integrates Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs), such as Direct Memory Access (DMA), Configurable Logic Cells (CLC) and a 12-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC). These allow the system to accomplish tasks in hardware while freeing up the central processing unit (CPU) to do other tasks or to go to sleep.
These hardware-based CIPs not only improves execution efficiency while maintaining system flexibility but also lower down the overall power consumption. Furthermore, these MCUs include a crystal-less USB device/host/On-the-Go (OTG) and I2S functionality, crucial for USB audio applications and communication gateways.
Moving on, this family’s accurate on-chip USB oscillator eliminates the need for an external crystal or oscillator reducing overall system BOM cost and board real estate associated with USB applications.
The devices are supported by the MPLAB® Code Configurator (MCC) tool which makes it easy to configure the USB stack, pin assignments and peripherals, significantly accelerating development time. These MCUs are also supported by Microchip’s MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment (IDE) ecosystem and MPLAB XC32 Compiler.
“The PIC32MM ‘GPM’ family extends Microchip’s cost-effective XLP PIC32MM portfolio by adding USB coupled with more memory and pins for growing application requirements,” said Joe Thomsen, vice president of Microchip’s MCU16 business unit. “Supported by the popular MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC) tool, customers can set up their peripherals, pins and generate code with the push of a button, greatly reducing time to market.”
Pricing and Availability
The PIC32MM “GPM” devices are available in 64 KB, 128 KB and 256 KB Flash variants with 28-, 36-, 48- and 64-pin packaging options. All device variants are currently available for orders and samples now, with the 28-pin UQFN available early next quarter. Volume pricing for this family starts at $0.97 each in 10,000 unit quantities.
• The PIC32MM USB Curiosity Development Board (DM320107) is available for $27.99 each.
• The PIC32MM0256GPM064 Processor Plug-in Module (MA320023) is available for $25 each.
• The Explorer 16/32 Development Board is available (DM240001-2) for $79.99 each.
About Microchip Technology
Microchip Technology Inc. is a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality.
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