Advanced single-chip MCU family for electronic energy metering
27 August 2003
Analogue, Mixed Signal, LSI
Products & Solutions
Commercial (Industry)
Texas Instruments has introduced an advanced system-on-chip microcontroller unit for electronic energy meters (e-meters). The new MSP430FE42x family of products combines an industry-standard ultra-low-power Flash MCU with an integrated high-performance analog front-end (AFE) on a single-chip. This mixed-signal integration reduces the total system chip count by 80%, improving performance and reliability, while also reducing cost.
This device family has fully programmable communication capabilities and is ideally suited for manufacturers developing electronic energy meters with sophisticated features such as automated meter reading (AMR), smart card prepayment and multiple rate billing.
Systems using the MSP430FE42x family do not require multiple crystals, an EEPROM, LCD driver, external realtime clock or 5 V power supplies. The reduced component count as well as the devices' inherent failsafe features increase overall reliability.
With precise phase matching between current and voltage channels, the embedded signal processor (ESP) performs the necessary calculations to supply accurate active energy, apparent energy, RMS voltage, current and waveform samples. The ESP provides a 0,1% accurate energy measurement over a dynamic current range of 1000 to 1. This more than surpasses the 1% accuracy common in typical mechanical meters. Having the ESP completely manage critical energy calculations enables the designer to use the freed-up central processor unit (CPU) functions for differentiated meter features such as display and AMR.
Supporting ultra-low power, the MSP430FE42x operates at 3 V with the CPU and ESP active at only 2,5 mA. In a power outage the device can operate in a standby mode with a typical current consumption of 1,1 µA with a realtime-clock function active.
The MSP430FE42x family offers 8, 16 or 32 KB on-chip Flash memory options and 256 bytes to 1 KB RAM. It is offered in a 64-pin quad flat pad (QFP) package.
Further reading:
In-ear hearing protection for firefighters
Fire & Safety Products & Solutions
Savox has launched Savox Fire Protect, a fully integrated firefighter communication system combining active in-ear hearing protection and wireless push-to-talk in a single, purpose-designed solution.
Read more...
Seeing the threat is not always enough
Secutel Technologies
Fire & Safety Products & Solutions
With integrated Smoke Screen technology, businesses can remotely trigger a smoke deployment on demand or configure custom business rules that automatically activate the system when specific events occur.
Read more...
Digital isolators for I2C interfaces
Analogue, Mixed Signal, LSI
Würth Elektronik has expanded its range of digital isolators with 2-channel bidirectional isolators for I2C communication interfaces.
Read more...
Free POPIA Action List for gated access
ATG Digital
News & Events Residential Estate (Industry) Training & Education Commercial (Industry)
ATG Digital, in partnership with CIVITAS, released the POPIA Responsible Party Action List. It is a free, practical guide for HOAs, body corporates, managing agents, landlords, employers and institutions. It helps them move from assuming compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) to proving it.
Read more...
Ultra-low-power smart metering
EBV Electrolink
Analogue, Mixed Signal, LSI
ScioSense’s UFC23 sensor combines improved resolution and offset stability with ultra-low standby current, enabling high-end battery-powered water, heat, gas and leak detection meter designs.
Read more...
Industrial vibration sensing simplified
Altron Arrow
Analogue, Mixed Signal, LSI
The IIS3DWBG1 from STMicroelectronics is a high performance, three-axis digital vibration sensor engineered for demanding industrial applications where accurate motion monitoring is essential.
Read more...
AI-enabled NVR for Milestone XProtect
Surveillance Infrastructure Products & Solutions
As surveillance environments continue to grow in scale and complexity, organisations need infrastructure that is easy to deploy, simple to manage, and ready for AI-driven workloads.
Read more...
The rise of the smart alarm
Spectrum Security Products
Perimeter Security, Alarms & Intruder Detection Products & Solutions
As modern homes across South Africa and the broader Africa region become more connected, expectations around security are rapidly evolving. Today’s homeowner wants a fully integrated smart home security system that delivers control, visibility, and flexibility from anywhere.
Read more...
Understanding two key tools for cleaner serial data
Altron Arrow
Editor's Choice Analogue, Mixed Signal, LSI
Understanding how pre-emphasis and equalisation works, and when to use one over the other, is critical when designing reliable high-speed systems.
Read more...
Verification is reshaping South Africa’s labour market
Security Services & Risk Management Asset Management Commercial (Industry)
Hiring faster, trusting less: in a labour market defined by both constraint and potential, the ability to hire with confidence may well become one of the most important competitive advantages.
Read more...
printer friendly version