Outside of the hobbyist ecosystem, what is the actual market size for new, non-legacy, ICs with a maximum Vcc of ~5V ? I've just picked up a few of the new Microchip 1Mbit SPI RAM ICs: and I was utterly amazed to see them available in this 5V capable packaging. This is a product range which until now has topped out at 3.6V maximum and the inputs were not even 5V tolerant on those earlier devices. Yet here in 2013, Microchip has released a new set of parts in this range which are not only 5V I/O tolerant, but actually run at 5V as well. To my mind, it would be like Microchip, say, suddenly deciding to create a PIC32 range which runs at 5V. They clearly would not do this unless there was a market for them, but I am just puzzled what that market is. If this was for the hobbyist market only I would have expected them to carry on saying "use one of our 3.6V devices with a level shifter". Even in the hobbyist market however many of the newer devices you might want to interface with are increasingly 3.3V only (and without 5V tolerant inputs either in many cases) so even as a hobbyist I am moving down into the 3.3V MCU world anyway. Observations/non-hobbyist viewpoints welcome. :-) Simon. -- Simon Clubley, Microsoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world

There are few areas where 5V power is preferred: * Most of CAN transceivers require 5V. * Power electronics; i.e. high/low side switches, FET drivers etc. often require 5V. * There is a lot more flexibility and choice with analog electronics running on 5V rather then 3.3V. Summarizing, in applications like industrial/automotive controllers, 5V has its place. Vladimir Vassilevsky DSP and Mixed Signal Designs

Market size of new, non-legacy, 5V ICs ?

Mar 17, 2013 41 Replies

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j.m.granville 13 years ago

and another uC family, gets a shiny new 5V capable variant :

[" Microchip Expands PIC24 Lite Microcontroller Portfolio with Advanced Analog Integration and 5V Operation "]

-jg

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Simon Clubley 13 years ago

Integration and 5V Operation "]

And I see they are even available in PDIP as well.

You know, my comment about the PIC32 at 5V was meant to be a joke, but right now... :-)

Simon.

Simon Clubley, clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP Microsoft: Bringing you 1980s technology to a 21st century world

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