Microsemi, a manufacturer of analog mixed-signal integrated circuits and semiconductors, has developed a device for smart metering applications that integrates all power-management functions into one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
The company claims that the device is the first of a planned family of both custom and standard products for advanced metering and other Smart Grid applications.
Itron, a provider of smart metering and smart grid applications, utilizes the new Microsemi ASICs in its second-generation CENTRON meter product line, which includes the OpenWay CENTRON smart meter.
Microsemi has integrated all battery management, power failure, over-current and thermal detection as well as various other functions into a single, compact IC.
The IC also features temperature compensation, power reset, and energy conservation during power loss, and is offered in a small-footprint 5x4mm QFN package.