The AVR DU family, representing Microchip's next generation of 8-bit microcontrollers, integrates USB connectivity and is designed to offer enhanced security features and deliver more power than previous versions.
“USB is the most widely used communication protocol and power method in electronic devices,” said Greg Robinson, corporate vice president of Microchip’s 8-bit microcontroller business unit. “Microchip’s AVR DU family combines the flexibility of our most advanced 8-bit microcontrollers with the versatility of enhanced power delivery to bring the advantages of USB to a wider range of embedded systems.”.
AVR DU microcontrollers can deliver up to 15W of power via the USB interface, a feature not commonly found in other USB microcontrollers in their segment. This capability enables USB-C® charging at up to 3A at 5V, making these microcontrollers an excellent choice for devices such as portable power banks and rechargeable toys.
To enhance defense against malicious attacks, the AVR DU family incorporates Microchip's PDID (Program and Debug Interface Disable) feature. When enabled, this enhanced code protection is designed to block access to the programming/debugging interface and prevent unauthorized attempts to read, modify, or erase firmware. The AVR DU family utilizes RWW (Read-While-Write) Flash to enable secure firmware updates, and when combined with a secure bootloader, designers can use the USB interface to patch defects, address security issues, and add new features without impacting product operation. This enhanced functionality in AVR DU microcontrollers is designed to enable seamless field upgrades, extending product lifecycles.
The AVR DU family also helps reduce total bill of materials costs through a USB clock recovery feature that eliminates the need for an expensive external crystal. Core Independent Peripherals (CIPs) allow designers to incorporate key device functions and system management tasks into a compact, single-chip solution that takes up less board space and simplifies design.
Developers of a wide variety of embedded designs, from fitness wearables and home appliances to agricultural and industrial applications, can benefit from incorporating high-efficiency AVR DU microcontrollers into their designs. A virtual demonstration of the AVR DU family is available at try.microchip.com.
development tools
contain a hardware-compatible software stack for the AVR DU microcontroller's USB module. This production-ready USB software stack, fully integrated into the MPLAB development tools system, is easily configured using MCC Melody, streamlining the development process and shortening time to market. The AVR DU family also includes the Curiosity Nano development board (EV59F82A), the MPLAB X IDE (Integrated Development Environment), and the MPLAB XC8 compiler to accelerate prototyping and development.
