Analog Devices Introduces Energy Meter ICs with Intelligent Battery Technology
Analog Devices, Inc. is introducing two families of single-chip energy meter ICs that combine intelligent battery management and ADI's signal processing technology to address the need of the world's electricity markets for feature-rich, highly reliable meters. Increasingly, solid-state, failure-resistant energy meters, such as those enabled by Analog Devices, are replacing aging electro-mechanical systems by providing consistently dependable measurement and new functions, like remote meter-reading.
ADI's new ADE7100 and ADE7500 energy meter SoC (system-on-chip) families include devices with intelligent battery modes that allow the meters to maintain the time, sense temperature changes, run the LCD (liquid crystal display) read-out, and perform other critical system functions, while using at least 40% less power than competitive solutions. Based on Analog Devices' field-proven ADE energy measurement core, which has been designed into more than 175 million energy meters worldwide, the highly integrated SoC devices perform functions previously requiring as many as six discrete ICs and further extend ADI's portfolio of industry-leading energy metering solutions.
The ADE7100 and ADE7500 energy meter families combine Analog Devices' proven energy measurement core with a microprocessor, on-chip flash memory, LCD driver, real-time clock (RTC) and intelligent battery management circuitry. The result is a high-quality, cost-effective solution that is less susceptible to system failures and enables advanced services like remote meter-reading, time-of-use billing, which requires power companies to measure energy consumption according to hourly use, and load shedding, which is the act of cutting off the electric current on certain lines when demand outstrips supply.
The highly integrated ADE7100 and ADE7500 families provide an SoC solution for energy meters with LCD-displays. The devices combine ADI's metering core, derived from the ADE7755, with intelligent battery management circuitry consisting of an internal battery switch and a stand-alone state machine. With a low battery-mode current consumption of 1.2µA, the devices reduce power use by at least 40% in battery mode compared to many other solutions, while still allowing the meters to maintain critical functions – such as monitoring temperature and main supply voltage – during power outages.
The installation of energy meters with LCD displays continues to accelerate globally. To address this trend, the ADE7100 and ADE7500 families integrate an LCD driver that meets industrial temperature specifications for all outdoor climate conditions. On-chip charge-pumps controlled by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) allow designers to easily adjust LCD contrast by setting the drive voltage up to 5.4V with a power supply of 3.3V, which ensures the display is clearly visible even as temperature ranges fluctuate between -40 to 85°C.
Four products in the ADE7100 (ADE7166, ADE7169) and ADE7500 (ADE7566, ADE7569) families are sampling now with full production scheduled for February 2007. The devices are available in 64-lead LQFPs (low-profile quad flat packages) and are priced under $3.00 per unit in 1,000-piece quantities.
