Announced to be the world's first-a new thermocouple regulation integrated circuit that combines precision instruments, precision temperature sensors and precision, high-resolution analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), as well as a pre-programmed math engine. This firmware supports multiple standard thermocouple types: K, J, T, N, S, E, B, and R-Microchip introduced the MCP9600.
Thermocouples are one of the most commonly used temperature measurement devices because they are rugged and accurate in harsh high-temperature environments and are capable of measuring temperature over a very wide range. By integrating multiple discrete devices into a single chip, the MCP9600 simplifies thermocouple design and also reduces board area, cost, and power consumption.
Designers in industrial, consumer, automotive / aerospace, and petrochemical applications have widely used thermocouples to measure temperature. 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 discrete implementations, such as firmware development using MCU's math engine. Designers no longer need to create precise instrument circuits to accurately measure microvolt-level signals from thermocouples, nor do they need to design ADC circuits for accurate temperature calculations. With the MCP9600's integrated cold-
junction compensation, other features of the MCP9600 include a digital filter for temperature data that minimizes the effects of temperature fluctuations, system noise, and electromagnetic interference. Its shutdown mode reduces overall system power consumption, and its four user-programmable temperature alarm outputs reduce system microcontroller overhead and code space while further simplifying the design. Finally, the MCP9600 is available in a 5mm x 5mm, 20-lead mQFN package, which further reduces board area and manufacturing costs. The company also introduced the MCP9600 Thermocouple IC Evaluation Board.
