Date: 06/04/2009

Microchip offering C callable DSP functions for its 32 bit microcontroller family

Microchip has added C callable DSP function library to its MPLAB C compiler for PIC32 Microcontroller (MCUs) family.

By packing in core digital signal-processing blocks such as MAC and other Math blocks inside the processor, few of the latest 32 bit microcontrollers are offering a combination of normal I/O type processor plus DSP. With the DSP features available on microcontrollers, Embedded System developers can now add audio and speech handling features to their 32-bit MCU applications and save their design from additional DSP chip. This trend has started few years back.

Microchip PIC32 MCU feature multiply-accumulate (MAC), math unit with parallel execution, and two full sets of CPU registers. The PIC32 DSP Library allows embedded system designers to select from the common 64-, 128-, 256-, 512- and 1024-point FFTs, and other sizes and support for 32-bit FFTs.
Microchip says, this new library can execute a 256-point, 16-bit RADIX-2 Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) in 283 microseconds, which is approximately 22% faster than Microchip's previous PIC32 DSP Library.

The migration from Microchip's dsPIC digital signal controller families to PIC32 MCU is made easier by using a set of APIs that are compatible with the MPLAB C Compiler for dsPIC DSCs.

The key DSP functions of the new PIC32 DSP Library include:

1. 16- and 32-bit Vector Math
2. Finite Impulse Response (FIR), Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) and Least Mean Squares (LMS) Filters.
3. 16- and 32-bit Fast Fourier Transforms (FFTs)

The free evaluation version of the MPLAB C Compiler for PIC32 MCUs, with the new PIC32 DSP Library is available for download at http://www.microchip.com/c32. Full version of this C Complier costs US$895.