What if you didn't need a CPLD or FPGA for programmable logic? What if your MCU could do it all- no external components, smaller BOM, less board space, and still give you everything a CPLD would?
Introducing the PIC16F132 and PIC18-Q35- the latest additions to Microchip's growing Configurable Logic Block (CLB) product portfolio; each with an on-chip CLB peripheral that runs fully independent of the CPU, so response times are deterministic and fixed, no jitter, no variability. For automotive, industrial, and safety-critical designs where timing guarantees are non-negotiable, that matters. And unlike FPGA toolchains, it's fast to work with: MCC's graphical CLB synthesizer lets you configure, simulate, and debug logic in minutes, with no HDL experience required.
Eliminate that external component, shrink your BOM, reclaim that board space, and you haven't given anything up. If you used PIC16F13145 last year, you already know where this is going.
The PIC16F132 product family- Embedded Innovation with Configurable Logic and Enhanced Security
The entry point. It's an 8- to 40-pin PIC16 with 32 CLB logic elements- automotive-ready, cost-effective, and low-power. It's built for designs where you need real hardware logic capability without the overhead of a standalone CPLD. Pair it with the
- 10-bit ADC with computation, 10-bit DAC, hardware CVD touch sensing, dual 16-bit PWMs, 2× comparators
- SMBus-compatible I²C/SPI and dual EUSARTs
- Up to 28 KB Flash, 2 KB SRAM, 256 B EEPROM
- Packages: SOIC, TSSOP, PDIP, SSOP, VQFN, TQFP
and you have a surprisingly capable chip in a small, affordable package.
Security is handled too
- PDID permanently disables the programming and debug interfaces after deployment, locking down your firmware from the hardware level up.
PIC18-Q35- Maximum Flexibility for Custom Embedded Solutions
This is where the CLB story gets serious.
- 128 logic elements. 64 MHz PIC18 core.
- Multi-Voltage I/O from 1.62V to 5.5V eliminates external level shifters for mixed-voltage designs.
- 4x DMA controllers handle data movement without touching the CPU. UART with LIN and DMX protocol support, Zero-Cross Detect, and the same PDID security lockdown as the F132- all in 28- to 48-pin packages.
Built for industrial, automotive, and security-sensitive environments that demand both performance and flexibility on a single chip.
Both families are fully supported in MPLAB X IDE and VS Code. MCC's CLB synthesizer gives you a graphical drag-and-drop interface, Verilog for advanced users, built-in simulation, timing analysis, and hardware debug pins. No HDL experience needed -you can have custom logic running in minutes.
Resources:
Learn more about- PIC16F13145 / PIC16F132/ PIC18Q35
Check out products on Farnell-
PIC16F132
Start developing with PIC16F132 Curiosity Nano Development Board
Family Data sheets-
PIC16F132 PDF
PDF PIC18Q35
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