Precision Analog 32-Bit Microcontroller Peripherals Add Value to Signal-Intensive Applications

General-purpose 32-bit microcontroller (MCU) devices are ubiquitous in today's interconnected, sensor-rich embedded world. The proliferation of embedded intelligence and connectivity in virtually all aspects of our lives has led to a universe of increasingly capable 32-bit MCUs with more precise onboard sensors. Motor control, radio control, audio sample generation and waveform generation using digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are typical applications that require MCUs with higher precision analog functionality. Because MCUs are not natural companion devices for radios, they often require specialized high-precision analog components or peripherals to be "well-behaved" in the presence of radio signals. End products involving radio or motor control technology generally benefit from the use of MCUs with high-precision peripherals and system IP. For example, a motor controller with a high-precision pulse-width modulation (PWM) generator is able to control a motor more efficiently, thus saving power and increasing the lifetime of the motor. A radio system with an MCU containing a finely-controllable phase-locked loop (PLL) requires fewer external resources to reduce signal interference, resulting in a better end user experience and higher value. In short, 32-bit MCUs with best-in-class precision-analog peripherals can impart higher value to a wide range of applications.