Easy Migration across Product Families
All of the PIC^® MCUs and dsPIC^® DSCs support migration options that enable you in scaling your designs up or down. Key factors enabling platform selection are:
● Complete portfolio: 6 to 100 pins, 384B to 512KB of program memory, up to 80MHz
● Upward compatible architectures to preserve investment in code development
● Pin compatibility in multiple packages facilitates drop-in replacement
● Range of memory technologies: Self Programming Flash, OTP, ROM
● Easy Migration across 8, 16, and 32-bit families

Low-Risk Product Development & Faster Time to Market
Microchip’s world class development tools provide powerful, affordable solutions for application development. Compilers, assemblers, programmers, simulators, and in-circuit emulators are available components of MPLAB^® Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Highlights of Microchip’s development tools offering include:
● MPLAB^® IDE is a free, simple and powerful development environment, supporting all MCU and DSC products
● Free student editions of Microchip’s C compilers available 
● Proven application-specific software libraries and reference designs
● Graphical User Interface (GUI)-based software design packages
● Third-party software and hardware development tools available

Lower Total System Cost
Appropriate levels of integration of analog and digital peripherals from simple to complex, minimizing component count for lower total system cost with increased reliability. Some examples of functionality integrated into our MCUs and DSCs are:
● Communications Peripherals: SPI, I²C™, UART, CAN, USB, Ethernet, IrDA^®, LIN 
● Control Peripherals: capture/compare, counters, real-time clock and calendar, motor control & power supply PWM
● Integrated Display Drivers: LED, LCD
● On-chip internal oscillators and PLL
● Analog Peripherals: A/D Converters, comparators, op amps, brown-out detection and reset, low voltage detection, temperature sensors, D/A Converters, voltage regulators
● Microchip also offers a variety of standalone memory, analog & interface products.