The new DSCs are built on a 200 MHz 32-bit core with a double-precision floating point unit. Key analogue specifications include 78 picosecond pulse-width modulators, multiple 40 MSPS 12-bit analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) and 5 ns high-speed comparators — figures that Microchip says support fast, deterministic control loops in designs using Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride power semiconductors. The devices will be automotive-qualified for operation up to 150°C and developed in accordance with ISO 26262 and IEC 61508 functional safety processes.
Joe Thomsen, corporate vice-president of Microchip's digital signal controller business unit, said customers are "looking beyond individual components and focusing on how quickly and confidently they can bring a system to life," adding that the integration of control, analogue and security capabilities is intended to help engineering teams manage complexity from early design through to deployment.