Microchip Enhances Digital Signal Controller Lineup with Industry-Leading PWM Resolution and ADC Speed

Rhea-AI Summary

Microchip Technology (MCHP) has introduced two new Digital Signal Controller families - dsPIC33AK512MPS512 and dsPIC33AK512MC510 - to enhance power conversion efficiency and control capabilities. The dsPIC33AK512MPS family features industry-leading 78 ps high-resolution PWMs and 40 Msps ADCs, specifically designed for AI server power supplies and data centers. Key features include up to 512 KB Flash, 200 MHz core speed, integrated security features, and compliance with ISO 26262 and IEC 61508 safety standards. The controllers support SiC and GaN-based DC-DC converters, offering enhanced efficiency for power conversion applications. The dsPIC33AK512MC family provides cost-optimized solutions for multi-motor control with 1.25 ns PWM resolution. Both families include double precision floating-point units and are supported by MPLAB Machine Learning Development Suite. Pricing starts at $1.50 per unit in volume.

Positive

• Industry-leading 78 ps high-resolution PWMs and 40 Msps ADCs enable superior control performance
• Enhanced security features including crypto accelerators and Flash security module
• Compliance with automotive (ISO 26262) and industrial (IEC 61508) safety standards
• Competitive pricing starting at $1.50 per unit
• Support for advanced SiC and GaN-based power conversion applications
• High performance with 200 MHz core speed and up to 512 KB Flash memory

Negative

• None.

Insights

Semiconductor Industry Analyst

Microchip's new DSCs target AI data center growth with industry-leading specs, potentially strengthening their position in high-growth power conversion markets.

Microchip Technology's introduction of the new dsPIC33AK512MPS512 and dsPIC33AK512MC510 Digital Signal Controller families represents a strategic move to capitalize on the surging demand for efficient power conversion in AI data centers. The timing is particularly noteworthy as these new DSCs directly address a critical bottleneck in AI infrastructure scaling – power efficiency.

The technical specifications are genuinely impressive from an industry standpoint. The 78 picosecond PWM resolution and 40 Msps ADC speed significantly outpace competing solutions, enabling the precision control needed for next-generation SiC and GaN-based power converters that are becoming standard in modern data centers. These specifications allow for much tighter control loops, which translates to higher efficiency and smaller form factors in power supplies – both crucial metrics for data center operators facing energy constraints.

Beyond the raw performance, Microchip has strategically integrated security features and functional safety compliance (ISO 26262 and IEC 61508), addressing growing concerns about infrastructure security and reliability in mission-critical applications. The inclusion of ML capabilities indicates Microchip is positioning these controllers for the emerging trend of intelligent power management systems that can adapt to varying workloads.

At a $1.50 price point in volume, Microchip is maintaining competitive pricing despite the advanced capabilities, suggesting they're aiming for mass adoption rather than premium positioning. This launch strengthens Microchip's portfolio in high-growth segments where they compete with players like Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics, potentially improving their market position in the expanding AI infrastructure supply chain.

The latest DSC devices with specialized peripherals for efficient power conversion target data center power supplies and other complex real-time systems

CHANDLER, Ariz., June 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evolving security and functional safety demands, coupled with the growing complexity of real-time embedded applications, are driving designers to seek innovative solutions that deliver greater accuracy, improved reliability and compliance with industry standards. To address these challenges, Microchip Technology (Nasdaq: MCHP) has added the dsPIC33AK512MPS512 and dsPIC33AK512MC510 Digital Signal Controller (DSC) families to its dsPIC33A DSC product line. The devices enable the implementation of computation-intensive control algorithms for improved energy efficiency in motor control, AI server power supplies, energy storage systems and complex sensor signal processing with Machine Learning (ML)-based inferencing.

“As AI servers and data centers continue to grow, the need for more efficient power conversion is essential. With specialized peripherals and the high-performance core in the dsPIC33AK512MPS family, developers can now achieve significant energy savings and shrink their power supply footprints,” said Joe Thomsen, corporate vice president of Microchip’s digital signal controller business unit. “The new dsPIC33A DSC families are packed with advanced features that enable efficient and reliable designs for modern power conversion, motor control and sensing applications.”

The dsPIC33AK512MPS family delivers precise, high-speed control through industry-leading 78 ps high-resolution Pulse Width Modulations (PWMs) and low-latency 40 Msps ADCs, enabling fast and accurate control loops essential for optimizing the performance of Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based DC-DC converters. Additionally, dsPIC33AK512MPS devices include advanced security features, an integrated touch controller and a high pin count of up to 128 pins. The dsPIC33AK512MC family is designed to offer low-latency, 40 Msps ADCs and 1.25 ns PWM resolution, providing a feature- and cost-optimized solution for multi-motor control and complex embedded applications.

The dsPIC33A DSC families, with up to 512 KB Flash and a rich peripheral set, integrate a double precision floating-point unit to accelerate mathematical computations and leverage a 32-bit architecture for seamless adoption of model-based design code. Their enhanced instruction set and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) capabilities, including single-cycle MAC operations and a 200 MHz core speed, make these devices highly efficient for low-latency, real-time control applications. Supported by MPLAB^® Machine Learning Development Suite, dsPIC33A devices streamline the ML workflow by automating data preparation, feature extraction, training, validation and firmware conversion of optimized models.

“dsPIC33A DSCs from Microchip provide high performance and reliability for complex automotive Electronic Control Units (ECUs),” said Norbert Weiss, managing director at Lauterbach GmbH. “Combined with the support of our latest TRACE32^® solutions, we help dsPIC33A DSC customers accelerate their time-to-market using our leading debug and trace tools from the start of the development process.”

With a range of hardware safety features, dsPIC33AK512MPS/MC DSCs are compliant with functional safety standards and are developed in accordance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 26262 and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61508 processes, making them suitable for safety-critical automotive and industrial applications. To further enhance system-level security, the dsPIC33AK512MPS DSC family includes integrated crypto accelerators and a Flash security module, enabling immutable root of trust, secure boot, secure firmware upgrades and secure debug capabilities.

“The combination of dsPIC33A DSCs and our pre-certified safety-critical real-time operating system, SAFERTOS^®, simplifies the development of safety-critical applications," said Andrew Longhurst, managing director of WITTENSTEIN high integrity systems (WHIS). “This system level solution empowers our clients to deliver reliable and efficient solutions that meet automotive and industrial safety standards.”

Visit the website to learn more about Microchip’s dsPIC33A DSC family.

Development Tools
dsPIC33AK512MPS/MC DSCs are supported by Microchip’s development tool ecosystem including MPLAB XC-DSC Compiler, MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC) and MPLAB ML Development Suite. Separate dual in-line modules are available to support development for motor control, digital power conversion and general-purpose embedded applications. The DSCs are also supported by partner software and tools including SAFERTOS^® real-time operating system from WHIS, TRACE32^® debugger from Lauterbach and others.

Pricing and Availability
dsPIC33AK512MPS/MC DSCs are available starting at $1.50 each in volume. You can purchase directly from Microchip or contact a Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor.

Resources
High-res images available through Flickr or editorial contact (feel free to publish):

• Application image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/microchiptechnology/54567382263/sizes/o/
  
  

About Microchip Technology:
Microchip Technology Inc. is a leading provider of smart, connected and secure embedded control and processing solutions. Its easy-to-use development tools and comprehensive product portfolio enable customers to create optimal designs which reduce risk while lowering total system cost and time to market. The company’s solutions serve over 100,000 customers across the industrial, automotive, consumer, aerospace and defense, communications and computing markets. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at www.microchip.com.

Note: The Microchip name and logo, the Microchip logo and MPLAB are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. PICkit is a trademark of Microchip Technology Inc. in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.

Editorial Contact:	Reader Inquiries:
Amber Liptai	1-888-624-7435
480-792-5047
amber.liptai@microchip.com

FAQ

What are the key features of Microchip's new dsPIC33AK512MPS Digital Signal Controllers?

The dsPIC33AK512MPS features 78 ps high-resolution PWMs, 40 Msps ADCs, 512 KB Flash, 200 MHz core speed, integrated security features, and compliance with safety standards ISO 26262 and IEC 61508.

How much do the new MCHP dsPIC33AK512MPS/MC DSCs cost?

The dsPIC33AK512MPS/MC DSCs are available starting at $1.50 each in volume.

What applications are targeted by Microchip's new DSC families?

The controllers target AI server power supplies, data center power supplies, energy storage systems, motor control applications, and complex sensor signal processing with ML-based inferencing.

What development tools support the new Microchip DSC families?

The DSCs are supported by MPLAB XC-DSC Compiler, MPLAB Code Configurator, MPLAB ML Development Suite, SAFERTOS operating system, and TRACE32 debugger.

What security features are included in the dsPIC33AK512MPS DSC family?

The family includes integrated crypto accelerators and a Flash security module, enabling immutable root of trust, secure boot, secure firmware upgrades, and secure debug capabilities.