San Jose, California—October 8, 2012—Maxim Integrated Products (NASDAQ: MXIM) has launched Zeus, which integrates and elevates security to a new level for use in smart grids. Zeus is a comprehensive smart meter system-on-chip (SoC) that provides high-accuracy metering functions, multiple layers of security, and rich processing performance suitable for today's advanced communication protocols.

As smart meters become increasingly networked, the importance of security has never been higher to defend against energy theft and cyberattacks on the grid. Zeus meets diverse types of security and communication requirements, providing smart meter manufacturers with a development platform suitable for multiple end markets. The embedded encryption module protects communications, secure bootloader prevents unauthorized firmware modifications, and tamper detection capabilities can detect, record, and report any physical attack attempts on the meter.

Key product features:
• Superior metering accuracy: Achieves 0.1 percent accuracy across a 5,000:1 dynamic range using multiple ADC channels operating at 10Ksps
• Meeting requirements to support future applications: Incorporates a 120MHz ARM® Cortex M3 application processor and a 40MHz 32-bit MAXQ30 microcontroller supporting DSP for metering functions
• Multi-core architecture that separates legally compliant and non-compliant functions according to WELMEC, facilitating easy verification

Industry assessment
• Kris Ardis, business director for Smart Grid Products at Maxim Integrated, stated: "Zeus is a comprehensive smart meter SoC that provides a complete solution. By combining metering, security, and communication functions, it provides a platform suitable for all embedded smart grid equipment requiring measurement, communication, and security capabilities. Power utilities and meter equipment manufacturers can leverage the enhanced performance and flexible platform of Zeus to meet future evolving requirements."

The Zeus platform includes MAX71616, MAX71617, MAX71636, and MAX71637. Click here for more detailed information. For more details on Zeus, click here. For detailed images, please refer here. Maxim plans to showcase the Zeus platform at the Metering, Billing/CRM Europe exhibition (Amsterdam, October 9–11, booth C46) and the Electronica exhibition (Munich, November 13–16, Hall A6, booth 163).