Integrated Thermocouple to Degrees Celsius Converter
Microchip Technology Inc. today announced the MCP9600--the first thermocouple-conditioning integrated circuit to combine precision instrumentation, a precision temperature sensor and a precision, high-resolution analog-to-digital converter (ADC), in addition to a math engine preprogrammed with the firmware to support a broad range of standard thermocouple types (K, J, T, N, S, E, B and R).
Thermocouples are one of the most ubiquitous temperature-measurement devices, due to their robustness and accuracy in harsh, high-temperature environments, and their ability to measure temperature over an extremely wide range. The MCP9600 simplifies thermocouple designs by integrating a number of discrete devices into one chip, which also lowers board area, cost and power consumption.
Thermocouples are widely used to measure temperature by the designers of industrial, consumer, automotive/aerospace and petrochemical applications, among others. The MCP9600 provides them with the first plug-and-play solution for creating thermocouple-based designs, because it eliminates the design expertise required for a discrete implementation, such as firmware development using an MCU's math engine.
Designers no longer have to create precision instrumentation circuitry to accurately measure a thermocouple's microvolt-level signals, nor do they have to design ADC circuitry for precise temperature calculations. With the MCP9600's integrated cold-junction compensation, calculating the "Hot" junction temperature of a thermocouple doesn't necessitate thermal design expertise to precisely measure the reference temperature of the thermocouple's "Cold" junction.
"The MCP9600 is the only system-on-a-chip thermocouple-conditioning IC on the market," said Bryan J. Liddiard, marketing vice president of Microchip's Analog and Interface Products Division. "It offers customers a fully integrated, plug-and-play solution for a non-trivial application, saving development time and resources."
Other features of the MCP9600 include a temperature-data digital filter, which minimizes the effects of temperature fluctuations, system noise and electromagnetic interference. Its shutdown modes reduce overall system power consumption, while its four user-programmable temperature-alert outputs reduce the system microcontroller's overhead and code space, while further simplifying designs. Finally, the MCP9600 comes in a 5x5 mm, 20-lead mQFN package, which further reduces board area and manufacturing cost.
The MCP9600 Thermocouple IC Evaluation Board (part # ADM00665) was also announced today, to enable development. It is available now for $65.00. The MCP9600 is available today for sampling and volume production, in a 5x5 mm, 20-lead mQFN package. Prices start at $3.54 each in 5,000-unit quantities.
