Microchip expands its eXtreme low power (XLP) PIC® microcontrollers (MCUs) with the PIC24F “GB2” family. This family features an integrated hardware crypto engine, a random number generator (RNG), and one-time-programmable (OTP) key storage for protecting data in embedded applications. The PIC24F “GB2” devices offer up to 128 KB Flash and 8 KB RAM in small 28- or 44-pin packages for battery-operated or portable applications, such as “Internet of Things” (IoT) sensor nodes, access control systems, and door locks.

Several security features are integrated into the PIC24F “GB2” family to protect embedded data. The fully-featured hardware crypto engine, supporting the AES, DES, and 3DES standards, reduces software overhead, lowers power consumption, and enables faster throughput. This is another example of Microchip’s core independent peripherals, which can run with no CPU supervision. Also, a random number generator creates random keys for data encryption, decryption, and authentication to provide a higher level of security. For additional protection, the (OTP) key storage prevents the encryption key from being read or overwritten. These security features increase the integrity of embedded data without sacrificing power consumption. With XLP technology, the “GB2” family achieves 180 µA / MHz run currents and 18 nA sleep currents for very long battery life in portable applications.

For connectivity, the “GB2” family integrates USB for device or host connections, as well as a UART with ISO7816 support, which is helpful for smart card applications. With these features, the PIC24F “GB2” devices protect embedded data while conserving power and maximizing battery life, all in packages as small as 28-pin QFN for medical / fitness, computer, and industrial applications.

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