The PIC18F87J72 family, featuring a high-performance 16/24-bit analog front-end and 64 to 128KB of flash program memory.
Meter implementation with performance exceeding IEC Class 0.5 standards

Microchip Technology (Country Manager: Han Byung-don), a global specialist in microcontroller, analog, and flash IP solutions, has introduced a new 8-bit PIC18F87J72 microcontroller (MCU) for single-phase multifunction smart metering and energy monitoring applications.

This new Microchip MCU, equipped with a dual-channel high-performance 16/24-bit analog front end (AFE), provides a solution that satisfies accuracy, stability, user convenience, and cost-effectiveness for developing measuring instruments with performance exceeding IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) Class 0.5 standards.

The new product family introduced by Microchip integrates 64 or 128KB of flash program memory and 4KB of RAM to implement usage time and multi-charge collection functions, as well as higher-level peripherals such as an LCD driver, a hardware real-time clock/calendar (RTCC), and a Charge-Time Measurement Unit (CTMU) to implement a capacitive touch user interface.

In addition, energy calculation firmware, development boards, and reference designs are provided, offering a complete solution applicable to various smart metering and energy monitoring applications that enables cost reduction and accelerated time-to-market.

Mitchell Obolsky, Vice President of Microchip’s Advanced Microcontroller Architecture business unit, stated, “The PIC18F87J72 MCU family reflects market demand for integrated smart energy metering and power monitoring MCUs,” adding, “Through these new MCUs Microchip stated, "We are further expanding our existing energy metering and power monitoring portfolio."

In addition, Vice President Mitchell Obolsky added, “With the announcement of Microchip’s new products, customers now have the option to choose the PIC18F87J72 MCU with an AFE for small applications, or to use a separate MCP390X AFE with a standard PIC MCU to maximize flexibility.”

Development support
The PIC18F87J72 single-phase energy meter reference design (Part No.: ARD00280) is available through a Microchip sales representative for evaluation. Featuring a shunt-based single-phase meter with energy calculation firmware and GUI-based software calibration capabilities, this reference design allows for active/reactive energy, forward/reverse energy, and active