Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions, announced that it has partnered with Cymbet Corporation to provide the world's first customizable energy harvesting application development kit – the XLP 16-bit Energy Harvesting Development Kit.

This kit includes a modular development board populated with the PIC24F16KA102 microcontroller – featuring eXtreme Low Power – and the capability to add PICtail daughter boards for the rapid evaluation of a wide variety of system functions, including ZigBee and proprietary wireless connectivity, and SD memory cards. The PIC microcontroller's eXtreme Low Power technology allows users to gain the longest possible operation from the included Cymbet EnerChip EH Eval-08 Energy Harvesting Board, which harvests solar energy that is then stored in the EnerChip solid-state, rechargeable energy-storage devices.

Energy harvesting is an emerging trend within the worldwide energy-efficiency movement. It enables designers to extend the life of their battery-powered applications, or eliminate batteries altogether, by scavenging energy from sources such as the sun or ambient indoor light. The XLP 16-bit Energy Harvesting Kit provides a customizable development platform for designers to build and test their solar energy harvesting applications, without having to design any hardware. Example applications for this technology include portable consumer electronics, remote sensor networks, utility meters and portable medical devices.