Generations of PSOC™ Microcontrollers

PSOC™ (Programmable System on a Chip) technology was revolutionary when it was released in 2002, and it’s still just as relevant and beneficial today. Each generation of PSOC™ microcontroller (MCU) has adapted to meet ever-evolving consumer demands in technology, successfully reacting to emerging issues and driving innovative trends.

The generations of PSOC™ have revolutionized our lives during the 21st century. They are found in more than four billion products ranging from smart homes to TVs to automobiles and have brought usincreased autonomy, efficiency, safety, and privacy for consumers using electronics. This article outlines the meaning of PSOC™ technology and how it works, as well as the specifications of popular Infineon PSOC™ models and development tools.

PSOC™ stands for Programmable System on a Chip. As the name suggests, this technology allows you to configure the microcontroller and peripherals to your desired system requirements. The 32-bit PSOC™ Arm™ Cortex™ microprocessors have advanced properties, such as programmable analog and digital blocks, interconnectivity, routing, and CAPSENSE™ technology.

PSOC™ processors contain a CPU core, configurable analog and digital peripherals, and Flash memory, the latter of which allows the chips to be reprogrammed. The flexible analog and digital peripherals make PSOC™ different from traditional MCUs.

Two development tools enable manufacturers to reprogram these chips: PSOC™ Designer and PSOC™ Creator. The Designer enabled the manipulation of first generation PSOC™ 1 and 2 devices. The PSOC™ Creator was invented to accommodate the increased technological demands of manufacturers and allows greater control around debugging and programming the PSOC™ 3, 4, and 5 families.

With the PSOC™ Creator, users can design and connect existing circuits and components on the chip. You can even design your own peripherals that are tailored to unique requirements, helping you reconfigure MCUs without having to buy new hardware.

Then there’s ModusToolbox, a collection of tools and libraries that you can use to design and manipulate PSOC™ devices. It acts a comprehensive repository of documents, middleware, code, project management tools, training resources, device drivers, and other resources.

In addition to free software like ModusToolbox, you can also use commercial software to develop and modify PSOC™ devices. For example, AutoPDL is a middleware package containing low-level drivers with an advanced memory footprint. If you need technical support and training in PSOC development, you can also utilize IAR support channels like the self-service IAR Academy online training.

PSOC™ microcontrollers have existed for more than 20 years. They span multiple product families, starting with 5V compatible devices like the PSOC™ 1 and evolving into new 42V compatible models like the PSOC™ 4 HVPA. They revolutionized the world of technology and manufacturing upon their release. Cypress continued to upgrade the devices over the years, releasing the PSOC™ 4 family in 2014 and the PSOC™ 6 series in 2017.

In 2020, Infineon acquired Cypress Semiconductor and, with it, their cutting-edge technology. Infineon has now built upon the pre-existing PSOC™ components to release a wide range of programmable MCUs with more advanced capabilities.

Since PSOC™ technology is over two decades old,  there are several generations and evolutions of hardware in the Infineon catalog tailored to different applications. For instance, the latest PSOC™ 6 devices are built for electronics in the Internet of Things (IoT) that have low power requirements like Bluetooth low energy (BLE) devices.

These new generations of PSOC™ microcontrollers are equipped with AI and machine learning capabilities, giving you extra levels of control, autonomy, energy efficiency, and data privacy. In this section, we explore the latest PSOC™ generations in more detail.

The PSOC™ 4 family was the first to provide Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity. Beginning in 2014, this allowed manufacturers to create additional components that linked directly to PSOC™ devices. This generation contains several families, including the PSOC™ 4000, 4700, HV, and the Automotive 32-bit PSOC™ 4 Arm Cortex-M0/M0+ models.

Building upon the previous three generations, PSOC™ 4 addressed the issues of embedded systems by offering peripherals like Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) and Infineon’s CAPSENSE™ technology. These countered the issues of embedded systems by providing space to scale and improving real-time performance and security. PSOC™ 4700 even introduced inductive sensing for increased reliability, noise reduction, and waterproofing in electronics like washing machines.

This generation reduced the time-to-market for designers and programmers. These families and flexible and scalable, providing high-performance mixed signal architecture for low-power applications.

This generation further reduced development costs and boosted time-to-market by integrating components like a 24-bit Digital Filter Block (DFB) and 24 UDBs in each microcontroller. PSOC™ 5LP devices are ideal for use in small, wearable electronic applications like smart watches and fitness devices. Subcategories of the PSOC™ 5LP Arm Cortex generation include the CY8C58LPxxx and the CY8C52LPxxx.

Designed on low-power architecture for low-power applications, the PSOC™ 6 Arm Cortex generation accommodates varied functionalities within the Internet of Things (IoT). It uses dual-core Arm™ Cortex™-M4 and Cortex™-M0+ technology to allow for optimized performance and power output at the same time, making the PSOC™ 6 generation suitable for all kinds of electronic devices.

PSOC™ Edge devices utilize Arm™ Cortex™-M55 cores and hardware-assisted machine-learning technology to provide scalable solutions for increasingly intelligent systems. This family of components is more intuitive and autonomous, broadening the capabilities of what PSOC™ programmers can do.

The AI functions increase the contextual awareness of end applications and facilitate ‘always on’ features found in modern electronics. Additionally, high-performance Edge Protect security software enhances privacy and data protection to reduce threats of cyberattacks and unauthorized access. With PSOC™ Edge devices, designers can create high-quality, usable components that accommodate increasingly limitless technological demands.

PSOC™ MCUs have a wide range of applications, as they can be adapted and altered to suit various needs and technological demands. For instance, you can design custom front ends and reprogram analog blocks to make space for extra features without increasing BOM costs.
This means you’ll find Infineon PSOC™ components in a range of electronic devices, including:

• Automobiles
• Mobile Phones
• TVs
• Electric Toothbrushes
• Medical Devices
• Wearables
• Industrial IoT Devices

Infineon’s PSOC™ devices continue to spearhead the microcontroller industry even after several decades, thanks to the frequent and robust upgrades of each generation. While PSOC™ 1 and 2 asked questions about what is possible for electronics designers, new generations like PSOC™ Edge and PSOC™ 6 are answering these questions and enabling programmers to produce highly innovative end applications. Browse Infineon’s wide range of high-performance microcontrollers today.