Microchip Technology has announced the launch of PAC1934, a precision power and energy monitoring chip.

This chip operates with Microchip drivers that are fully compatible with E3 (Energy Estimation Engine) built into Windows 10 operating system, and provides 99 percent accuracy across all battery-powered Windows 10 devices.

By combining Microsoft's E3 service with PAC1934 and Windows 10 drivers, battery consumption measurement capability across various software applications can be improved by up to 29 percent.

Jessie Labayen, senior program manager at Microsoft, stated, "Microchip's PAC1934 features a wide measurement range that can measure display, CPU, storage, network, total and other system component power with excellent accuracy," adding, "Through this, we have significantly enhanced the software prediction functionality of Windows 10 E3, which represents major progress for system providers and general users."

PAC1934 is designed to measure voltage ranges from a minimum of 0V to a maximum of 32V. Therefore, power consumption can be accurately measured from simple CPU operations to software execution of devices connected via USB Type-C™ connector. PAC1934 is a 4-channel device with 16-bit power measurement and accumulation registers exceeding 17 minutes, calculating power consumption and energy usage without requiring adjustment of voltage or current ranges.

Bryan Liddiard, vice president of marketing for Microchip's mixed-signal and linear segment, stated, "To obtain the most accurate software power data in Windows 10 devices, an accurate yet simple power monitoring IC is required," adding, "Although consumers may not know that Microchip components play a significant role, through this new device, the reliability of battery life statistics data will be greatly enhanced across the globe."

This IC also features essential functionality for future software upgrades. Battery charging and discharging can be measured bidirectionally, enabling preparedness for the expanding development and applications of USB Type-C charging topology. Additionally, it can be used as a standard high-side current sensor in server, networking, automotive, and industrial applications.