Microchip Technology, a global semiconductor company, has simplified analog sensor design by reducing cost and complexity through the integration of low-power analog functions.

Microchip Technology Inc. today announced the availability of its low-power PIC16F17576 MCU family, which enables precise measurement of highly volatile analog signals.

The new MCUs are designed to enable small sensor systems to respond quickly while using minimal power, maximizing efficiency in battery-powered applications.

Even in sleep mode, it consumes less than 3.0μA of current, allowing continuous signal measurement even in power-saving mode, and the APM (Analog Peripheral Manager) function effectively controls activated peripherals to prevent unnecessary power consumption.

The PIC16F17576 MCU features a new low-power comparator and voltage reference combination that allows the MCU to reliably detect analog signals even in power-saving states.

In particular, its strengths include its ability to effectively perform signal monitoring while minimizing energy consumption in battery-based systems.

It has a built-in software-controllable gain ladder that allows for various gain stage settings, and up to four operational amplifiers (op amps) are installed to reduce noise and enable precise measurements.

It also provides a 12-bit differential ADC (analog-to-digital converter) to measure signals with high reliability over a wide input range.

This MCU minimizes noise and maximizes precision during signal conversion with high-quality operational amplifiers and automatic averaging functions.

This enables excellent signal measurement performance in various fields such as environmental and industrial monitoring, smart homes, and building automation.

Applicable fields include: △Vibration and strain measurement △Flow measurement and gas detection sensors △Cold chain asset tracking △Motion sensing and industrial automation.

“Sensor systems require complex analog components, but the low-power PIC16F17576 MCU integrates them to reduce cost and simplify design,” said Greg Robinson, vice president of Microchip’s MCU business unit. “Reducing power consumption and minimizing component count are major strengths.”

The PIC16F17576 MCU supports the MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and MPLAB Code Configurator, and is compatible with the Curiosity Nano Development Board (EV14L29A) and MPLAB® PICkit™ development tools to make design easier.

Prices start at $0.57 per unit for 10,000-piece quantities, and inquiries about products and purchases can be made to Microchip representatives or through the official website.