WCH has recently launched a new ultra-low-cost RISCV microcontroller, CH32V003.
It runs at 48Mhz and has 16KB Flash and 2KB RAM and other general-purpose interfaces (GPIO, I2C, SPI, UART) available on most microcontrollers.
The MCU has immense potential in various cost-sensitive applications, especially those with high-volume demands. It can be an ideal solution for tasks requiring low computational power or IO expansion. With its versatility, the MCU opens up opportunities for efficient resource utilization and task isolation from the main MCU.
For example, if you are short on IO but LCDs and keys have to be interfaced, this MCU can easily take up that task, and data can be transferred from the main MCU via UART or I2C.
Here are some reasons why engineers should pay attention to the CH32V003:
The RISC-V architecture is gaining popularity and is one of the most affordable RISC-V microcontrollers available.
The MCU has a wide range of peripherals, making it suitable for various cost-sensitive applications.
The MCU is easy to use and program, and fairly good support is available from the manufacturer.
There is a growing community of developers using the RISCV-based MCUs, and several resources are available online to help engineers get started.
CH32V003 Technical Spec
32-bit RISCV 2A Core
Up to 48MHz system frequency
2KB SRAM, 16KB Flash
1x DMA controller
1x OpAmp comparators
10-bit ADC
1x 16-bit advanced timer and 1x 16-bit general-purpose timer
2x watchdog timers and 1x 32-bit system time base timer
1x USART
1x I2C
1x SPI interface
Upto 18 I/O ports, interrupt is available on all pins
64-bit chip unique ID
Serial 1-Wire Debug Interface
Multiple low power modes: sleep, standby
Supply voltage: 3.3/5V
Power-on/power-off reset, programmable voltage detector