32-bit meet DIP! (ARM Cortex M0 in DIP packages)

This made the rounds a month or so back, but NXP was kind enough to send me a handful of LPC1114 samples in the new DIP package to play with.  I’m already a pretty big fan of the QFP and QFN versions of this chip (LPC1114-based 802.15.4 Wireless Transceiver, etc.), and it also exists in a ridiculously small 2x2mm package, but DIP still holds a special place in my heart.  The new package is clearly targeting the Chinese market where a lot of low cost goods are still assembled by hand using PTH parts, but it’s a nice little bonus for the hobbiest community as well.  

While the smaller pin count necessitates a reduction in peripherals compared to the QFP48 chips, it still has the same internals as any other member of the LPC1114 family, and covers pretty much every peripheral or serial bus you’d expect to find in something aiming to be an 8-bit killer (coincidentally, DIP packaging may be the last nail in the coffin of 8-bit from a commercial point of view, now that you have such capable 32-bit offerings available for under $1, that beat 8-bit in almost every category from price, power, performance, etc.?)*:

  • 50 MHz
  • 32KB Flash
  • 8KB SRAM
  • SPI
  • I2C
  • USART
  • 10-bit ADC
  • 1×16-bit timer
  • 2×32-bit timers

I’l update the LPC1114 Code Base to support this new package, and try to put together a simple parts list to do a breadboard circuit with this chip (how many other 32-bit ARM MCUs can you do that with, I ask?), but you can definately expect to see a bit more of this chip in the coming weeks as I try to find some hands-on time to play with it.  For the moment, I just wanted to post a quick photo to show that they’re indeed real, on my desk, and begging for a free afternoon to get them up and running, doing something fun.

In a related note, ARM announced the new Cortex M0+ today.  While actual silicon won’t be available from NXP until later this year, it’s a nice improvement on an already great little core.  The biggest advantage to me is single-cycle IO — the current M0 takes two cycles because of the Von Neumann architecture with a single channel for data and instructions, versus the three-channel Cortex M3 — though there are a number of other nice little updates.

* Obligatory warning: The opinions expressed in this caustic and inflammatory remark are purely those of the author, and not those of Adafruit Industries 🙂


Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards

Join Adafruit on Mastodon

Adafruit is on Mastodon, join in! adafruit.com/mastodon

Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.

Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.

Join us every Wednesday night at 8pm ET for Ask an Engineer!

Join over 36,000+ makers on Adafruit’s Discord channels and be part of the community! http://adafru.it/discord

CircuitPython – The easiest way to program microcontrollers – CircuitPython.org


Maker Business — “Packaging” chips in the US

Wearables — Enclosures help fight body humidity in costumes

Electronics — Transformers: More than meets the eye!

Python for Microcontrollers — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: Silicon Labs introduces CircuitPython support, and more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi

Adafruit IoT Monthly — Guardian Robot, Weather-wise Umbrella Stand, and more!

Microsoft MakeCode — MakeCode Thank You!

EYE on NPI — Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey

New Products – Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers! — #NewProds 7/19/23 Feat. Adafruit Matrix Portal S3 CircuitPython Powered Internet Display!

Get the only spam-free daily newsletter about wearables, running a "maker business", electronic tips and more! Subscribe at AdafruitDaily.com !



4 Comments

  1. I’d love to put my hands on some of them too! Unfortunately it’ll take some time until I’ll be able to get some and even more time until I find some time to play with them.

  2. I’m incredibly jealous! I’ve been working on a hobbyist dev board for this chip, and it’s rough without any samples!

  3. I bought two STM32 boards and I’m learning C++. I would like to see some tutorials, projects or boards from Adafruit because this is near to what I’m interested in.

  4. ktown, you *do* know that as an employee, you’re about the only one that gets samples from NXP, right…?!? The rest of us have to wait to get gouged by Digi-Key at their qty=1 pricing. 1/2 🙂

    Them chips got some sexy legs though — … can… not… resist…

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.