The PIC24F 'GA3' devices are characterized by an active current of 150 µA/MHz and incorporate six DMA channels, enabling program execution with lower power consumption and higher performance. This family demonstrates the continued advancement of Microchip's XLP technology and adds a new low-power sleep mode with RAM retention as low as 330 nA. Furthermore, they are the first PIC® microcontrollers with on-chip real-time clock and calendar battery backup via VBAT. With these features, along with an integrated LCD controller and numerous other peripherals, the PIC24F 'GA3' devices enable more efficient and less expensive designs for consumer thermostats, door locks, and home automation; industrial products such as wired and wireless security sensors and controls; portable medical devices and medical diagnostic equipment; and metering products such as electronic meters, energy monitoring, automatic meter reading, and gas, water, or heat meters; as well as other applications.
Some applications require battery life to closely match the operating life of the final product. With a 150 µA/MHz operating current, numerous low-power modes, and a low-power sleep mode with RAM retention as low as 330 nA, the PIC24F 'GA3' microcontrollers maximize battery life by reducing the overall power consumption of the application. To ensure the application's real-time clock continues to function when main power is removed, a dedicated VBAT pin can be used to supply standby power at only 400 nA. Furthermore, the transition from VDD to VBAT is automatic as soon as VDD is removed. The integrated LCD display driver provides direct control of up to 480 segments, with 8 common-segment control capability, enabling more informative and flexible displays that include descriptive icons and scroll bars.
The microcontrollers also incorporate a Charge Time Measurement Unit (CTMU) with a constant current source that can be used for mTouch™ capacitive sensing, ultrasonic flow measurement, and many other sensors. The on-chip 12-bit A/D converter provides threshold detection and works in conjunction with the CTMU to perform proximity sensing in sleep mode to further reduce power consumption.
