PICDEM System Management Kit - Microchip

Microchip announced the PICDEM System Management Kit, a PC-based demonstration and training tool. The PICDEM System Management board integrates a dedicated RTC, serial EEPROM, Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), and thermal-management. The Board provides an I2C communications bus, connects to multiple devices to monitor and record the health and status of the system. The package also includes a PICkit Serial Analyzer, a low-cost development tool, using serial protocol to link the system under test to PC.

Key features of the PICDEM System Management:

• Emulation of 24LC02 Serial EEPROM
• Emulation of I2C RTC
• I2C thermal management using MCP9700 temperature sensor
• Control of 2-, 3- and 4-wire fans with supplied 3-wire fan
• +3V battery (lithium)
• Free Microchip’s MPLAB® IDE software for a complete code development environment
• Free HI-TECH PICC™ LITE C Compiler (contained on the MPLAB IDE CD)
• Free CCS PCB Baseline C Compiler installed with MPLAB IDE

The PICDEM System Management board is populated with Microchip’s mid-range PIC16F886 microcontroller, which supports the following components and functions:

• MCLR reset line and switch
• Interrupt push button switches
• 4 LEDs
• I2C communications (SDA and SCL)
• USART communications (TX and RX)
• In-Circuit Serial Programming™ (ICSP™) pins (ICSPDAT and ICSPCLK)
• PWM output fan control
• Fan tachometer input line
• Heating element control line
• Temperature sensor input line from MCP9700
• 32.768 kHz crystal clock (T1OSO and T1OSI)
• 3V lithium battery backup

Price of the PICDEM System Management Kit (Part no DM164123) is US$110. It includes a PICDEM System Management board, PICkit Serial Analyzer, USB cable and CDs.

Update: Microchip plans to offer classes through its worldwide Regional Training Centers. The first series of classes, titled 309 SMW: System Management Workshop, is expected to begin in:

• North America at Dallas on March 20,
• Cleveland on March 22,
• Orange County, CA on March 28,
• Boston and Chicago on March 29.

For registration, information on additional locations and dates in North America and throughout the world, and information on promotional PICDEM System Management Kit discounts, please visit the Microchip Regional Training Center Web site.

Source Microchip