Microchip launches PIC18-Q24 family of microcontrollers, setting new standard for enhanced code security

【Lansheng Technology News】From phones and cars to smart thermostats and home appliances, more and more everyday devices are connected to the cloud. As connectivity increases, it will be critical to deploy advanced security measures at the chip level to protect firmware and data. In response to current and expanding security threats,Microchip Technology Inc.today released the PIC18-Q24 series of microcontrollers (MCUs).

To combat the threat of malicious reprogramming of the device in embedded systems, the PIC18-Q24 microcontroller introduces the Programming and Debug Interface Disable (PDID) feature. When enabled, this enhanced code protection feature locks access to the programming/debugging interface and blocks unauthorized attempts to read, modify, or erase firmware.

Greg Robinson, vice president of Microchip's 8-bit microcontroller business unit, said: "A system is only as secure as its weakest link. Any programmable component can have vulnerabilities, so enhanced protection features must be implemented to prevent potential hacker attacks. Microchip's The PIC18-Q24 family of microcontrollers was designed with advanced security at the forefront to help customers defend against threats at the bottom of the system."

Because many security systems often interface and communicate with a variety of sensors, memory chips, and processors, the PIC18-Q24 family of microcontrollers features multi-voltage I/O (MVIO) capabilities. This feature eliminates the need for external level shifters and allows the microcontroller to connect digital inputs or outputs at different operating voltages. In addition to reducing board complexity and bill of materials (BOM) cost, the MVIO functionality makes the PIC18-Q24 family of microcontrollers particularly suitable as system management processors to perform monitoring and telemetry tasks for large processors. These seemingly routine tasks in embedded systems are often the most vulnerable to attacks by would-be hackers.

The PIC18-Q24 family of microcontrollers also offers an unchangeable bootloader option for applications that require safe firmware upgrades.

Development tools

The PIC18-Q24 family of microcontrollers is fully supported by theMicrochipdevelopment ecosystem and can be designed with MPLAB® Code Configurator (MCC). The PIC18F56Q24 Curiosity Nano Evaluation Kit (EV01E86A) provides comprehensive support for designing with the PIC18-Q24 family. These capabilities work together to deliver a seamless embedded development experience and reduce time to market.