First integrated thermocouple electromotive force-to-degrees Celsius converter

03-09-2015 | Microchip Technology | Test & Measurement

Announced as the world's first - a new thermocouple-conditioning integrated circuit which combines precision instrumentation, a precision temperature sensor and a precision, high-resolution analogue-to-digital Converter (ADC), in addition to a maths engine pre-programmed with the firmware to support a broad range of standard thermocouple types: K, J, T, N, S, E, B and R - the MCP9600 has been unveiled by Microchip. 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 world's 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 maths 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 does not necessitate thermal design expertise to precisely measure the reference temperature of the thermocouple's 'Cold' junction. Other features of the MCP9600 include a temperature-data digital filter, which minimises 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 5mm x 5mm, 20-lead mQFN package, which further reduces board area and manufacturing cost. The company has also introduced the MCP9600 Thermocouple IC Evaluation Board.
ads_logo.png

By Electropages

Electropages is a trusted source of news and insights from the global electronics industry. With a dedicated team of experts and editors, Electropages delivers in-depth articles, product updates, and market trends across sectors such as embedded systems, IoT, connectors, and power solutions. Our mission is to empower engineers and professionals with the knowledge they need to innovate and succeed in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.