Selecting a 32-bit Microchip Microcontroller
Microchip Technology has a lot of microcontrollers to choose from, so many that the task of selecting the perfect one for your specific needs can be overwhelming.
This page is intended to help narrow your search and provide you with links to other device selection resources. It also has links to device family pages, connecting you with all the information you need to evaluate and design with these MCUs.
- Lowest Cost
- Low Power and Full-Speed USB
- Large memory and USB
- Ethernet, Full-Speed USB, and CAN
- Ethernet, High-Speed USB, and CAN
- Motor Control
- Graphics
- 5 V and CAN
- Security
Lowest Cost(under $1.50)
| Family | Core | Speed (MHz) | Flash (KB) | SRAM (KB) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAMD1x/2x | Arm® Cortex®-M0+ | 48 | 8-256 | 4-32 | Lowest cost |
| SAMC | Arm Cortex-M0+ | 48 | 8-256 | 4-32 | 5 V supply |
| PIC32MM | microAptiv™ | 25 | 16-64 | 4-8 | |
| PIC32MX1/2/5 | M4K® | 50 | 16-512 | 4-64 | PIC32MX1/2 are low cost |
- 32-bit parametric search >(includes pricing)
- 32-bit selector guide >
Low Power and Full-Speed USB
| Family | Core | Speed (MHz) | Flash (KB) | SRAM (KB) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAMD1x/2x | Arm Cortex-M0+ | 48 | 8-256 | 4-32 | SAMD11/21 have USB |
| SAML | Arm Cortex-M0+/M23 | 48 | 16-256 | 4-32 | Lowest power |
| SAM4 | Arm Cortex-M4/M4F | 120 | 128-2048 | 64-160 | SAM4L has USB |
| SAMG | Arm Cortex-M4F | 120 | 256-512 | 64-176 | SAMG55 has USB |
| SAMD5x | Arm Cortex-M4F | 120 | 256-1024 | 128-256 | |
| PIC32MM | microAptiv | 25 | 16-64 | 4-8 | PIC32MM-GPM has USB |
| PIC32MX1/2 (XLP) | M4K | 72 | 128-256 | 32-64 | PIC32MX254/274 have USB |
Large Memory and USB(512 KB Flash minimum)
| Full-Speed USB | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family | Core | Speed (MHz) | Flash (KB) | SRAM (KB) | Notes |
| SAM4 | Arm Cortex-M4/M4F | 120 | 128-2048 | 64-160 | Ethernet,CAN 2.0B |
| SAMG | Arm Cortex-M4F | 120 | 256-512 | 64-176 | SAMG55 has USB |
| SAMD5x | Arm Cortex-M4F | 120 | 256-1024 | 128-256 | |
| SAME5x | Arm Cortex-M4F | 120 | 256-1024 | 128-256 | Ethernet,CAN FD |
| PIC32MX3/4 | M4K | 120 | 32-512 | 16-128 | |
| PIC32MX5/6/7 | M4K | 80 | 64-512 | 16-128 | Ethernet,CAN 2.0B |
| PIC32MK | microAptiv | 120 | 512-1024 | 128-256 | Motor control peripherals and 2 USB |
| High-Speed USB | |||||
| Family | Core | Speed (MHz) | Flash (KB) | SRAM (KB) | Notes |
| SAMS7/E7/V7 | Arm Cortex-M7 | 300 | 512-2048 | 256-384 | Ethernet,CAN FD |
| PIC32MZ EF | M-Class | 252 | 512-2048 | 128-512 | Ethernet,CAN 2.0B |
| PIC32MZ DA | microAptiv | 200 | 1024-2048 | 256-640 | Ethernet,CAN 2.0B, DDR2 (32 MB embedded or 128 MB external) |
Ethernet, High-Speed USB, and CAN(200 MHz minimum)
| Family | Core | Speed (MHz) | Flash (KB) | SRAM (KB) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAMS7/E7/V7 | Arm Cortex-M7 | 300 | 512-2048 | 256-384 | SAME7/V7 have all three withCAN FD |
| PIC32MZ EF | M-Class | 252 | 512-2048 | 128-512 | CAN 2.0B |
| PIC32MZ DA | microAptiv | 200 | 1024-2048 | 256-640 | Graphics controller, DDR2 (32 MB embedded or 128 MB external) andCAN 2.0B |
Motor Control
| Family | Core | Speed (MHz) | Flash (KB) | SRAM (KB) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAMD1x/2x | Arm Cortex-M0+ | 48 | 8-256 | 4-32 | SAMD21L for motor control |
| SAMC | Arm Cortex-M0+ | 48 | 32-256 | 4-32 | SAMC21 for motor control |
| SAME5x | Arm Cortex-M4F | 120 | 256-1024 | 128-256 | |
| SAMS7/E7/V7 | Arm Cortex-M7 | 300 | 512-2048 | 256-384 | |
| PIC32MK | microAptiv | 120 | 512-1024 | 128-256 | 3 DACs, 4 OpAmps, 5 Comparators, 2 USB, 4CAN 2.0B |
Graphics
| Family | Core | Speed (MHz) | Flash (KB) | SRAM (KB) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-cost controllerless: | |||||
| PIC32MX1/2/5 | M4K | 50 | 16-512 | 4-64 | Lowest cost |
| PIC32MX1/2 (XLP) | M4K | 72 | 128-256 | 32-64 | Low power |
| PIC32MX3/4 | M4K | 120 | 32-512 | 16-128 | |
| PIC32MX5/6/7 | M4K | 80 | 64-512 | 16-128 | Ethernet, USB,CAN 2.0B |
| PIC32MK | microAptiv | 120 | 512-1024 | 128-256 | Motor control peripherals |
| PIC32MZ EF | M-Class | 252 | 512-2048 | 128-512 | Ethernet, USB,CAN 2.0B |
| Integrated graphics controller and DDR2: | |||||
| PIC32MZ DA | microAptiv | 200 | 1024-2048 | 256-640 | DDR2 (32 MB embedded or 128 MB external) |
Other MCU's and MPUs with an integrated graphics controller:
Recommended 32-bit MCU to Drive Common Displays
- Can drive three full frames using internal memory unless noted
- No external memory or display controller required
- 16-bit displays use 5-bits for red, 6-bits for green, and 5-bits for blue (65 K colors)
- 24-bit displays (true color) use 8-bits for red, 8-bits for green, and 8-bits for blue (16.8 M colors)
| Common Displays | Color Depth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Resolution | Sizes | Monochrome | 16-bit | 24-bit |
| WVGA | 800x480 | 5", 7" | PIC32MZ DA² | ||
| VGA | 640x480 | 5.7" | PIC32MZ DA | PIC32MZ DA² | |
| Bar display | 1024x300 | 9" | PIC32MZ DA | PIC32MZ DA² | |
| WQVGA | 480x272 | 4.3" | PIC32MZ EF1 | PIC32MZ EF1 and PIC32MZ DA | |
| QVGA | 320x240 | 3.2" | PIC32MZ EF and PIC32MK1 | PIC32MZ EF2 | |
| Common for OLED | 128x64 | 1", 2.7" | PIC32MX1 | PIC32MX1 | |
1: Can drive one full frame using internal memory
2: Can drive two full frames using internal memory
Security
| Family | Core | Speed (MHz) | Flash (KB) | SRAM (KB) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAML | Arm Cortex-M0+/M23 | 48 | 16-256 | 4-32 | AES, SHA, 3DES, TRNG, Tamper Detection,TrustZone®, Integrity Check Monitor (SHA), HW root of trust/secure boot |
| SAM4 | Arm Cortex-M4/M4F | 120 | 128-2048 | 64-160 | AES, 3DES, TRNG, Tamper Detection |
| SAMG | Arm Cortex-M4F | 120 | 256-512 | 64-176 | Tamper Detection |
| SAMD5x | Arm Cortex-M4F | 120 | 256-1024 | 128-256 | AES, 3DES, TRNG, Tamper Detection, RSA, ECC, Integrity Check Monitor (SHA) |
| SAME5x | Arm Cortex-M4F | 120 | 256-1024 | 128-256 | AES, 3DES, TRNG, Tamper Detection, RSA, ECC, Integrity Check Monitor (SHA) |
| SAMS7/E7/V7 | Arm Cortex-M7 | 300 | 512-2048 | 256-384 | AES, 3DES, TRNG, Tamper Detection, Integrity Check Monitor (SHA), HW root of trust/secure boot |
| PIC32MZ EF | M-Class | 252 | 512-2048 | 128-512 | AES, 3DES, TRNG |
| PIC32MZ DA | microAptiv | 200 | 1024-2048 | 256-640 | AES, 3DES, TRNG |
| Family | Symmetric Crypto (AES, 3DES) | Asymmetric Crypto (RSA, ECC) | Integrity Check Monitor | Hardware Root of Trust / Secure Boot | Tamper Detection | True Random Number Generator | Environmental Monitor | Security Key Storage | Key Provisioning | Virtualization / Trustzone Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAM L10 | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||
| SAM L11 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| SAM L21 | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||
| SAM L22 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
| SAM4E | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||
| SAM4L | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||
| SAM G | ✔ | |||||||||
| SAM D5x | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| SAM E5x | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| SAM S7/E7/V7 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| PIC32MZ EF | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||
| PIC32MZ DA | ✔ | ✔ |
