Accelerating distributed intelligence within automobiles, Microchip Technology has introduced a new PICmicro microcontroller family with built-in LIN (local interconnect network) transceiver capabilities. Designed as an innovative solution to conquer new connectivity frontiers, the small footprint PIC16C432/433 LIN devices deliver increased systems integration, which supports the drive to combine more functions into fewer components and provide better reliability. Introduced by a European automotive consortium, the LIN protocol is a low cost, short-distance, low speed network under a CAN platform designed to meet the growing worldwide demand among automobile customers for new features, advanced performance and an enhanced and safer driving experience.
With distributed intelligence becoming a dominant trend in the automotive industry, the LIN protocol was created as a low cost standard for vehicle networks to connect various automotive subsystems. The LIN standard includes the specification of the transmission protocol, the transmission medium, the interface between development tools and the interfaces for software programming. As a serial communications protocol, LIN efficiently supports the control of mechatronic nodes in distributed automotive applications with a domain of class-A multiplex buses that provide a single master node and a set of slave nodes.
The primary properties of LIN are: single-master/multiple-slave concept; low cost silicon implementation based on common UART/SCI interface; hardware with a software equivalent, or as a pure state machine; self synchronisation without a quartz or ceramic resonator in the slave nodes; guaranteed latency time for signal transmission; low cost single-wire implementation; and a speed of up to 20 Kbps.
The LIN concept is different from the CAN protocol in that LIN provides a multiplex communication concept below the cost and performance level of CAN. The specification of the line driver/receiver follows the ISO 9141 standard, but features additional enhancements.
Besides serving as a new communication standard in the automotive industry, the LIN protocol is a cost-effective small form factor solution for distributed embedded solutions that also improves reliability. Typical automotive applications for the PIC16C432/433 focus on body control functions such as door, window, wiper, mirror, seat and sunroof systems.
The PIC16C432/433 architecture offers high performance with 2K words of OTP program memory, 128 bytes of data RAM and require only 35 powerful single-cycle instructions, each 14 bits wide, with the exception of two-cycle program branches. With the MCU and the LIN transceiver functioning within small 18-pin and 20-pin packages, the number of external components required is minimised, thereby yielding higher systems reliability. Featuring a four-channel, 8 bit A/D converter, the devices provide an effective interface to the analog world.
Other on-chip peripherals feature an 8 bit realtime clock/counter with 8 bit programmable prescaler, wake-up on bus activity and require only 12 V battery operation for the transceiver. Special MCU features include Microchip's in-circuit serial programming (ICSPT), power-on reset (POR), power-up timer (PWRT), oscillator start-up timer (OST), power saving SLEEP mode, selectable oscillator options and a watchdog timer (WDT) with its own on-chip RC oscillator for reliable operation.
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