The USB Type-C / PIC32 Breakout Board (Lite) is a breadboarding and prototyping aid with firmware providing common functionality for a variety of general-purpose use-cases. It is a stripped-down variant of the USB Type-C / PIC32 Breakout Board The board aims to be a more flexible offering compared to the FT232-type breakout boards by incorporating a 32-bit PIC. The major design goal is plug-n-play for rapid prototyping without the need for an in-depth knowledge of USB or having to install custom drivers.

The chosen USB protocol for the stock firmware is HID (Human Interface Device) because it is ubiquitous and does not require drivers or (significant) configuration of the Host to be up and running fast. It should just work.

Highlights and features

• A 32-bit PIC32MM0256GPM028 MIPS microcontroller running at 24MHz and featuring:
  • 256KiB of Flash for program memory and configuration
  • 32KiB of RAM
  • 15 General Purpose Inputs / Outputs (GPIO) broken out to 0.1" headers for bit-banging, status flags or microcontroller peripherals
  • An I2C bus controller capable of operating as both Master and Slave
  • An SPI / I2S controller (Master only for the default firmware)
  • A Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (UART) controller
  • A 12-bit Analogue-to-Digital Converter (ADC)
  • Analogue comparators
  • Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) controllers
  • Capture / Compare / PWM modules
  • Timers
  • Four Configurable Logic Cells (CLCs)
• USB 2.0 Full Speed (12Mib/s) Compatible Human Interface Device (HID) Endpoints, negating the need for custom drivers
• USB Type-C power / CC pin capability detection is done in firmware - note this is NOT USB PD
• Programmable and debuggable via two-wire ICSP (PICKit, Raspberry Pi, etc.)
• A +3.3V Low Drop-Out (LDO) Linear Regulator (AP2114HA) capable of supplying a minimum 1A (derated to 150mA at 50 Celsius ambient, without a heatsink)
• PTC over-current limiting with a typical hold / trip current of 1.1A / 2.2A (0ZCG0110CF2B)
• All GPIO pins capable of sourcing / sinking 10mA, enough to drive LEDs (remember a series resistor !)
• Small four-layer gold plated board for tarnish resistance and easy solderability occupying less than the 12-hole width of a standard breadboard strip
• Firmware source, board schematics and examples

Differences with the 'Full Fat' Board

The 'Lite' board is a lower-cost stripped-down variant of the USB Type-C / PIC32 Breakout Board that uses the same microcontroller and comes with the same firmware but was designed with a different set of compromises:

Choose the Full Fat version if USB Host protection and USB mechanical compatibility (and robustness) is more important than a few extra GPIO and a lower sticker price. Choose the Lite version if your intended USB Host is robust enough to withstand the (hopefully) occasional breadboard whoopsie, you want a smaller form-factor and more GPIO.

Note that the Lite board takes some liberties with the USB mechanical specifications. Whilst all boards will have been tested with at least one cable before they are shipped, there is no guarantee that it will work with all cables. This is because the PCB fabrication tolerances are not as tight as those mandated by the specifications. Choose the Full Fat variant with a standards-compliant connector if this is important to you.