February 27, 2018 —Microchip Technology introduced the MPLAB PICkit 4 In-Circuit Debugger. The PICkit 4 in-circuit programming and debugging development tool is meant to replace the PICkit 3 programmer by offering five times faster programming, a wider voltage range (1.2-5V), USB connectivity and more debugging interface options. In addition to supporting Microchip’s PIC microcontrollers (MCUs) and dsPIC Digital Signal Controllers (DSCs), the tool also supports debugging and programming for the CEC1702 family of hardware cryptography-enabled devices.
This programming and debugging solution is intended for those designing in the 8-bit space, but it is also suited for 16- and 32-bit development due, in part, to its 300 MHz, ATSAME70Q21B microcontroller on board.
The PICkit 4 development tool enables debugging and programing using the graphical user interface of MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment (IDE). The tool connects to the design engineer's computer using a USB 2.0 interface and can be connected to the target via an 8-pin single inline header that supports advanced interfaces such as 4-wire JTAG and serial wire debug with streaming data gateway. It is also backward compatible for demo boards, headers and target systems using 2-wire JTAG and In-Circuit Serial Programming™ (ICSP) compatibility.
The interfaces make this tool compatible with Microchip’s CEC1702 hardware cryptography-enabled devices. This 32-bit MCU offers encryption, authentication and private and public key capabilities.
