CHANDLER, Ariz., Jan. 16, 2012 [NASDAQ:  MCHP] — Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, today announced the HID-class MCP2210 USB to SPI protocol converter—the simplest, smallest-footprint and most cost-effective option for adding USB-Certified connectivity to SPI-based systems.  Microchip also provides free downloads of supporting software drivers, DLLs and a PC configuration tool, in addition to an evaluation board, to make it fast and simple for designers without USB expertise to add USB connectivity.  The converter comes in small, 20-pin SSOP and 5×5 mm QFN packages, for space-constrained applications.  Additionally, the MCP2210 has nine flexible, general-purpose I/O that can be configured via a PC as standard digital I/O pins or in alternate configurations, providing additional system I/O that simplify designs and support a wide range of applications.

According to eTForecasts, current annual PC shipments are greater than 300M and are projected to grow to more than 500M within the next four years.  While most PCs have standardized on USB as the primary protocol for connecting to other devices, many of those devices still utilize the SPI protocol.  In combination with the above features, software and tools, the MCP2210 converter utilizes the USB HID class, which is supported by the Windows^®, Linux and Mac OS^® operating systems, and is a 100% plug-and-play solution, making it even simpler to add USB to existing designs for data collection, transfer and analysis, along with many other USB functions.

“USB connectivity continues to be one of our customers’ most requested items,” said Bryan J. Liddiard, marketing vice president of Microchip’s Analog and Interface Products Division.  “Microchip’s PIC^® microcontroller families with integrated USB functionality continue to expand.  This MCP2210 USB to SPI protocol converter and supporting tools give customers a simple, small-footprint and cost-effective option to add USB connectivity to SPI-based systems.”