SoCs for polyphase smart meters
6 March 2013
Analogue, Mixed Signal, LSI
Texas Instruments recently débuted 60 new fully integrated metering systems-on-chip (SoC) at DistribuTECH 2013.
The MSP430F677x devices can achieve electricity measurement accuracy that meets or exceeds global regulatory requirements for smart polyphase e-meters, including IEC 62053-22 and ANSI C12.20 Class 0.2 standards. In addition, their large integrated memory enables more sophisticated metering features, while advanced anti-tampering protection helps electric utilities prevent power theft and meter manipulation.
To achieve the highest level of meter accuracy, an enhanced analog front end (AFE) with up to seven 24-bit sigma-delta data converters operates across a full 2000:1 input current range throughout -40°C to +85°C.
Combined with up to 512 KB Flash and 32 KB SRAM memory integrated on-chip, developers can incorporate sophisticated metering features like dynamic pricing tables for time of use, large buffer for interval data, DLMS/COSEM for meter data formatting, and communication stacks for both wired and wireless protocols such as ZigBee, wM-Bus, PRIME, G3-PLC and RF mesh networks.
Six configurable serial communications peripherals allow a combination of four UART, six SPI or two I²C ports to allow connectivity to multiple wired communication standards. The devices’ integrated display drivers support 8-mux 320-segment LCD controllers, enabling detailed displays and extended language support.
To protect electric utilities from energy theft and meter manipulation, the MSP430F677x SoCs include several advanced anti-tamper protection features. For example, dedicated pins associated with the on-chip real-time clock (RTC) detect and time-stamp meter tampering so utilities can easily track, reduce and prevent additional meter corruption.
In addition, a 128-bit hardware-accelerated Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) module speeds encryption time compared to a traditional software implementation, improving meter security and performance and reducing energy consumption.
The free MSP430 Energy Library code performs all of the polyphase meter calculations for energy and power that are required for ANSI/IEC qualified meters and provides an easy starting point for customers developing utility meter products.
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