The PIC64 family, which positions Microchip as a comprehensive microprocessor solutions provider, will be designed for numerous markets requiring real-time and application processing. The PIC64GX microprocessors, the first in the new product line, enable intelligent edge designs for industrial, automotive, communications, IoT, aerospace, and defense applications.
“Microchip is a leader in 8-, 16-, and 32-bit embedded solutions, so our product lines must evolve in parallel with the market. The addition of our 64-bit microprocessor portfolio allows us to offer low-, mid-, and high-end processing solutions,” said Ganesh Moorthy, CEO and President of Microchip Technology. “The PIC64GX microprocessor is the first of several 64-bit microprocessors designed for the intelligent edge and meets many performance requirements across all market segments.”.
The intelligent edge often requires heterogeneous 64-bit computing solutions with asymmetric processing to run Linux®, real-time operating systems, and bare-metal applications on a single processor with secure boot capabilities. Microchip's PIC64GX family addresses the midrange computing requirements of the intelligent edge with a 64-bit quad-core RISC-V® processor featuring Asymmetric Multiprocessing (AMP) and deterministic latencies. The PIC64GX microprocessor is the first
AMP-enabled multi-core RISC-V® solution for mixed-criticality systems. It is designed with a Linux-compatible quad-core CPU cluster, Class 5 microcontroller supervision, and 2 MB of flexible 625 MHz L2 cache.
The PIC64GX family of microcontrollers is compatible with Microchip's PolarFire® FPGA SoCs, offering great flexibility in developing embedded solutions. Furthermore, the 64-bit portfolio will leverage Microchip's ecosystem of user-friendly tools and support software, including a suite of powerful processes that help configure, develop, debug, and validate embedded designs.
The PIC64 High-Performance Spaceflight Computing ( PIC64-HPSC ) family has also been unveiled as part of Microchip's first wave of 64-bit processors. These space-grade, 64-bit, multi-core RISC-V microprocessors are designed to deliver more than 100x computing performance and provide unprecedented tolerance to radiation and faults in aerospace and defense applications. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA-JPL) announced in August 2022 that it had selected Microchip to develop an HPSC processor as part of its business partnership strategy. The PIC64-HPSC family represents a new era of autonomous space computing for NASA-JPL and the broader commercial aerospace and defense industry.
With the introduction of its PIC64 portfolio, Microchip has become the only embedded solutions provider actively developing a full range of 8-, 16-, 32-, and 64-bit microcontrollers and microprocessors. Future PIC64 families will consist of devices based on RISC-V or Arm® architectures, and embedded system designers can leverage Microchip's comprehensive solutions—from silicon devices to embedded ecosystems—to accelerate design, debugging, and verification, and reduce time to market. For more information, visit the Microchip 64-bit webpage.
Development Tools:
The PIC64GX family is supported by the PIC64GX Curiosity evaluation kit and integrates with Microchip's MPLAB® Extensions for VS Code®. PIC64 microprocessors are also supported by Linux4Microchip resources and Linux distributions such as Canonical® Ubuntu®, Yocto Project®, and Buildroot for the Zephyr® real-time operating system and associated software stacks.
Pricing and Availability:
The PIC64GX Curiosity kit is now available for designers to begin evaluation. For more information and to purchase, contact a Microchip sales representative, an authorized distributor, or visit the Microchip Customer Service and Purchasing website, www.microchipdirect.com
