Microsystems -global network of plants

A Global Network of Plants and Facilities Microchip is a global competitor providing local service to the world’s technology centers. The Company’s design and technology advancement facilities are located in Chandler and Tempe, Arizona. Product and technology development are located here, along with front-end wafer fabrication and wafer probe and sort. In 1994, Microchip purchased a second wafer fabrication facility in Tempe, Arizona – thirteen miles from its Chandler, Arizona, headquarters. The additional 170,000 square foot facility meets the increased production requirements of a growing customer base, and provides production capacity which more than doubles that of Chandler. Assembly and test facilities, predominantly located in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and Bangkok, Thailand, house the technology and assembly and test equipment necessary for modern plastic and ceramic packaging. During fiscal 1996, Microchip invested more than $115 million for capital additions to the Tempe Fab II facility and for construction of an additional testing facility in Asia. These investments have led to significant improvements in the Company’s output and overall cost structure. Sales and application offices are located in key cities throughout the Americas, Asia/Pacific, Japan and Europe. Offices are staffed to meet the high quality expectations of our customers, and can be accessed for technical and business support. Embedded Control Overview Unlike “processor” applications such as personal computers and workstations, the computing or controlling elements of embedded control applications are buried inside the application. The user of the product is only concerned with the very top-level user interface (such as keypads, displays and high-level commands). Very rarely does an end-user know (or care to know) the embedded controller inside (unlike the conscientious PC users, who are intimately familiar not only with the processor type, but also its clock speed, DMA capabilities and so on). It is, however, most vital for designers of embedded control products to select the most suitable controller and companion devices. Embedded control products are found in all market segments: consumer, commercial, PC peripherals, telecommunications (including fast-emerging personal telecommunication products), automotive and industrial. Most often embedded control products must meet special requirements: costeffectiveness, low power, small footprint, and a high level of system integration. Typically, most embedded control systems are designed around a MCU which integrates on-chip program memory, data memory (RAM) and various peripheral functions, such as timers and serial communication. In addition, these systems also usually require complementary Serial EEPROM memories, display drivers, keypads or small displays. Microchip Technology has established itself as a leading supplier of field-programmable embedded control solutions. The combination of high-performance MCUs from the PIC12CXXX, PIC16C5X, PIC16CXXX and PIC17CXXX families, along with non-volatile memory products, provide the basis for this leadership. Microchip is committed to continuous innovation and improvement in design, manufacturing and technical support to provide the best possible embedded control solutions to you. PIC16/17 MCU Overview and Roadmap PIC16/17 MCUs from Microchip combine high performance, low cost, and small package size, offering the best price/performance ratio in the industry. More than 100 million of these devices ship each year to cost-sensitive consumer products, computer peripherals, office automation, automotive control systems, security and telecommunication applications. Microchip offers four families of 8-bit MCUs to best fit your needs: PIC12CXXX 8-pin, PIC16C5X 12-bit program word, PIC16CXXX 14-bit program word and PIC17CXXX 16-bit program word MCU families. All families offer OTP, low-voltage and low-power options, as well as various packaging options. Selected members are available in ROM and reprogrammable EEPROM versions. The widely-accepted PIC16C5X, PIC16CXXX and PIC17CXXX families are the industry’s only 8-bit MCUs using a high-speed RISC architecture. Today, these families are joined by the industry’s first 8-pin MCU family of devices – the PIC12CXXX. The PIC12CXXX combines the 8-bit high-speed RISC architecture of the PIC16/17 families with the smallest footprint MCU. Microchip pioneered the use of RISC architecture to obtain high speed and instruction efficiency. PIC12CXXX: 8-Pin, 8-Bit Family PIC12CXXX family packs Microchip’s powerful RISC-based PIC16/17 architecture into 8-pin DIP and SOIC packages. These PIC12CXXX products have a 12-bit wide instruction set, low operating voltage of 2.5V and small package footprints. Future versions of the PIC12CXXX will include devices with the 14-bit wide instruction set, interrupt handling and a deeper hardware stack. All of these features provide an intelligence level to applications not previously available because of cost or size. PIC16C5X: 12-Bit Architecture Family PIC16C5X is the well established base-line family offering the most cost-effective solution. These PIC16C5X products have a 12-bit wide instruction set and are currently offered in 18-, 20- or 28-pin packages. In the SOIC and SSOP packaging options, these are among the smallest footprint MCUs. Low-voltage operation down to 2.0V for OTPs make this family ideal for battery operated applications. PIC16CXXX: 14-Bit Architecture Family The PIC16CXXX family offers a wide-range of options, from 18-pin to 68-pin packages as well as low to high levels of peripheral integration. This family has a 14-bit wide instruction set, interrupt handling capability and a deep 8-level hardware stack. The PIC16CXXX family provides the performance and versatility to meet the requirements of more demanding, yet cost-sensitive, mid-range 8-bit applications. The PIC14C000 Programmable Mixed-Signal Controller allows engineers to design intelligent controllers for smart batteries, battery chargers, battery status monitoring, uninterruptible power supplies, HVAC, and other data acquisition and processing required for managing energy. The PIC14C000 can support