Microchip Technology recently launched the PIC32CM PL10, a 32-bit Arm® Cortex®-M0+ MCU making it easier to make the migration from 8-bit AVR feel a lot easier. Pin compatible with our AVR Dx/Ex family, 5V capable, and carrying over the peripherals you already know- MVIO, CCL, EVSYS- it's built so you don't have to redesign your power architecture or relearn your peripheral toolkit to get 32-bit performance. Let's break down what's new and what carries over.
The AVR Migration Story
If you're running AVR Dx/Ex today, with a little effort, PIC32CMPL10 will allow your existing board layout to achieve migration. 5V logic has better noise margins than 3.3V. In industrial environments with motors, relays, or long cable runs, that extra headroom means fewer spurious glitches and more robust signal integrity.
Lots of existing industrial and appliance designs run on 5V buses, sensors, and actuators. If your MCU is 3.3V-only, you're adding level shifters everywhere, which means more BOM cost, more board space, and more failure points. Moving to most 32-bit parts means redesigning around 3.3V. The PL10 removes that barrier. You get 32-bit performance without touching your power architecture.
The peripherals you already know carry straight over: MVIO for mixed-voltage I/O, CCL (Configurable Custom Logic) for hardware glue logic, and EVSYS (Event System) for peripheral-to-peripheral signaling without CPU involvement. The learning curve is about what's new, not relearning what you already have.
On-Chip Capacitive Touch- No External Controller Needed
The integrated Peripheral Touch Controller (PTC) handles buttons, sliders, wheels, and multi-element touch layouts directly on the MCU - up to 29 channels, no external touch IC, nothing extra on the BOM.
For real-world reliability we built in Driven Shield+, which actively drives adjacent electrodes to stabilize the touch signal under moisture or electrical noise.. Touch surfaces are configured through our touch library - you're defining behavior, not hand-tuning acquisition registers.
Peripheral-Driven Power Architecture
Two features here that work together really well:
Event System- peripherals trigger each other in hardware, no CPU involved. A timer can kick off a periodic ADC conversion with zero firmware overhead. Fully deterministic.
Sleepwalking- the PTC and ADC stay active while the core is in standby, only waking the CPU when a threshold is crossed or a touch is detected. Routine sensing never has to involve the processor at all.
The result: low average current even in applications that need to stay responsive
Wide Voltage Range + MVIO
The PL10 runs from 1.8V to 5.5V, and Multi-Voltage I/O (MVIO) lets one I/O bank run at a different voltage from the core. Interface with 5V legacy peripherals or 1.8V sensors without adding level shifters. Useful in mixed-voltage systems where you'd otherwise be adding components just to bridge rails.
The 12-bit ADC (up to 800 ksps) also includes a built-in low-pass filter and internal techniques for cleaner, more consistent measurements- feeding both touch acquisition and general-purpose analog sensing.
Familiar Peripherals, Modern Dev Environment
Alongside the touch and power features, you get SERCOM interfaces, timers, and configurable logic- the usual suspects. Existing design patterns carry over without surprises.
Development is supported in MPLAB X IDE and VS Code with MPLAB extensions. Code examples and app notes are available through MPLAB Discover.
Get Your Hands On It
Grab the Curiosity Nano on Farnell
The PIC32CM PL10 Curiosity Nano (EV10P22A) is the fastest way to start evaluating. It's got:
- On-board debugger with virtual serial port over USB-C
- Adjustable target voltage (1.8–5.1V)
- User LED, mechanical switch, and an on-board touch button ready to go
Curiosity Nano edge connector- breadboard compatible, castellated edges for surface mounting
What are your thoughts- what is the most compelling feature on the PIC32CMPL10? Let us know in comments!
