Preventative system maintenance possible
A growing number of applications, such as solar inverters, smart lighting, and cloud servers, require both AC and DC power to maintain safe operation. They use AC as the primary power source and DC as a backup power source, or vice versa.

Microchip Technology Inc. has introduced the MCP39F511A, a dual-mode power monitoring IC that optimizes the performance of these systems and facilitates development. This IC measures both AC and DC power with an accuracy of 0.1 percent over a wide 4000:1 range.

Implementing dual-mode power monitoring in systems that use both AC and DC power previously required multiple ICs for performance and accuracy. The MCP39F511A is a single IC that integrates calculation and event monitoring functions. This reduces bill of materials (BOM) costs and simplifies firmware development.

The MCP39F511A is a highly integrated device that addresses the growing need for increasingly accurate power measurement in high-performance designs. This IC features two 24-bit delta-sigma analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) with a signal-to-noise ratio plus distortion (SINAD) performance of 94.5 dB and a 16-bit calculation engine to simplify calibration and meet most accuracy requirements.

Suitable for a wide range of consumer, IoT, and industrial applications, the MCP39F511A automatically detects power supply types and switches between AC and DC modes to optimize measurement results. It also features on-chip EEPROM to log key events, aiding developers in troubleshooting. Furthermore, it integrates a low-drift voltage reference and internal oscillator to reduce implementation costs.

Another advantage of the MCP39F511A is its flexibility and ease of implementation. It provides standard power calculation functions, such as active power, reactive power, apparent power, active energy, reactive energy, root-mean-square (RMS) current and voltage, line frequency, and power factor, enabling developers to add highly accurate power monitoring capabilities to their end applications while minimizing firmware development.

To further reduce development effort, the MCP39F511A can automatically save and load power quantities from EEPROM during power outages or startups, preventing loss of measurement results even if power is unexpectedly cut off. It also enables preventative system maintenance by monitoring various power conditions and allows developers to more conveniently manage power consumption.

“Power monitoring is increasingly prevalent in applications such as smart cities and smart homes as developers look for ways to monitor product performance and improve energy efficiency,” said Bryan Liddiard, vice president of Microchip’s Mixed-Signal and Linear Products Division. “The MCP39F511A provides customers with a solution that simplifies development and enables monitoring of both mains and DC power supplies.”