Re: [PIC] Architecture Migration - was Re: [PIC] PicKitPlus software

Xiaofan Chen <[email protected]>
Newsgroups gmane.comp.hardware.microcontrollers.pic
Message-ID <CAGjSPUA-KgwbO6NaB3sDe5E81sZxxzW-Jon3PjrpQFb8otM0vw@mail.gmail.com>
Indeed it is a trend moving towards ARM and RISC-V architecture for
Microcontrollers.

When I was tasked to choose an MCU architecture for my previous job at 1999,
I chose to go with PIC and not AVR (my German colleagues chose to go with AVR).

When I was tasked to choose a new MCU family in my current job in year 2010,
I chose to go with STM32. Now almost all our new MCU used are of ARM
architecture.

That being said, 8-bit PIC/AVR will still have a niche.

Best regards,
Xiaofan

On Mon, Jun 23, 2025 at 6:31 AM Harold Hallikainen
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Topic drift here...
>
> It seems that many people have moved away from PIC to ARM, STM32 (also
> ARM), AVR, etc. I retired a few years ago, so processor choice is not
> critical to me.
>
> Did the original PIC architecture come from General Instrument? I seem to
> recall that. Google is saying "The PIC (Peripheral Interface Controller)
> microcontroller was originally developed by General Instrument in 1975 as
> a peripheral for their 16-bit CP1600 microprocessor. The PIC1640, the
> first standalone PIC, was later renamed Programmable Intelligent Computer.
> In 1985, General Instrument spun off their chip division, which became
> Microchip Technology, and the PIC family became a primary product for the
> new company."
>
> Then there is the 16 bit PIC24H and dsPIC. Was this developed in house by
> Microchip? Then there is the MIPS architecture in the PIC32. But MIPS has
> now stopped development on the MIPS architecture and has moved to RISC-V.
> I wonder where that leaves the PIC32.
>
> Since I did a lot of PIC32MX development before I retired, I've continued
> a hobby project using the PIC32MZ ( https://w6iwi.org/rtty/DspTU2/ ).
>
> I see that there is now a PIC64 series with multiple RISC-V cores.
>
> So... interesting times!
>
> Harold
> https://w6iwi.org

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