Microchip is primarily known as a manufacturer of microcontrollers, microprocessors, memories and other integrated circuits. However, this supplier also offers a wide range of innovatively designed analogue and mixed-signal circuits for modern applications.
These products are manufactured for consumer and industrial solutions, mobile devices, computers, precision electronics, as well as automotive applications. Below, we present three series of Microchip products intended for power management, voltage regulation and analogue signal processing.
We invite you to go to our online catalogue and learn more about the full range of Microchip products.
PMIC solutions by Microchip
We have already described the Power Management IC (PMIC) solutions offered by Microchip in a separate article. Here, we will focus only on the general information about these products. These DC-DC converters combine small size with high functionality. Their main area of application is supplying power to circuits containing microcontrollers and more complex microprocessor systems.
The typical voltage supplied by lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries power PMICs (that ranges from 2.7 V to 5.5 V DC). The capabilities of these products respond to the challenges faced by professionals who develop electronic circuits intended for mass production:
The VQFN32 package makes it possible to fit the circuit into a 5×5 mm case.
Needs and Challenges:
| Needs | Challenges |
| Providing different values of input voltage and enabling sequential switching in order to ensure that the device works in a stable manner. | – an increased number of components – a larger PCB area for the power supply section – higher cost of the circuit |
| Taking into account current capacities utilised by different types of memory. | – the power supply circuit depends on the type of memory used – it takes longer to develop a universal solution |
| Making the current capacity of the power supply system dependent on the microcontroller’s operating mode. | – virtually impossible to use in applications that are solely based on discrete components – inefficient energy consumption |
The MCP16502 ICs support the DVS (dynamic voltage scaling) power saving technology. This series features four independent channels of DC/DC regulators and enables sequencing of peripherals.
The circuits are available in a 32-pin, 5×5 mm VQFN package. Uses include applications to manage the power supply of all components. What is more, the Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) bus can manage the MCP16502 externally.
Microchip offers DT100105 evaluation boards, with which you can conduct comprehensive tests of PMIC’s operation. And simplify their implementation in your prototype project.
MCP1722 LDO linear voltage regulator
MCP1722 regulators are available in SO8 and VDFN8 packages.
Nowadays, devices designed for consumer use (though not exclusively) are battery-powered. Rechargeable batteries’ characteristics include amperage and a relatively long work cycle. However, their major disadvantage is that voltage produced by these batteries can drop even by 20% as the discharge progresses.
Although a number of circuits, DC/DC converters and other components that help stabilise voltage are available on the market. Using them in your project may cause some undesired consequences, such as significant power loss and interference. LDO (low-dropout) linear voltage regulators are a solution to this problem.
They features include the lack of switching noise (due to the absence of the keying circuit), smaller size of the device, simplicity of design and high power capacity. Moreover, these LDO regulators are constructed to enable miniaturisation and lower the manufacturing cost (and, consequentially, the application cost).
The MCP1722 circuits deserve recognition not only in the context of Microchip products, but also among other low-dropout regulators available on the market. They are characterized by a wide input voltage range (from 4.5 V to 55 V DC) with UVLO (Undervoltage Lock Out) at 2.7 V.
Features:
They feature dual output: one is 3.3 V DC (max. current capability of 50 mA) and the other one is 10 V or 12 V DC with the max. current capability of 100 mA. It depends on the model. These circuits offer an extended operating temperature range (from -40°C to 150°C).
Due to their small size, they can be produced in SO8 and VDFN8 SMD packages. Moreover, the MCP1722 features a thermal shutdown protection and current foldback limiting to protect the circuit itself and the system in which it is installed. Power Good open-drain leads are used to monitor the operation of the regulator. It indicate that the voltage supplied to its outputs has correct parameters.
A crucial feature of this product is that it has a very low quiescent supply current of 50 μA when inactive. If the project makes use of the shutdown feature (the IC has a dedicated SHDN pin), the supply current will be typically lowered to 4 μA when the regulator operates in the sleep mode.
Applications:
A very low dropout voltage, a low voltage ripple and a precise value of output voltage (±2%) makes the MCP1722 an ideal solution for a wide range of applications. In addition, the product is AEC-Q100 qualified so it can be used in a wider range of systems, e.g. in onboard equipment in the automotive industry (for example in window control modules and audio-visual head units).
The Microchip regulators can be also applied in wireless control modules in electrical tools (such as drill drivers and chainsaws), home equipment and home appliances (electric toothbrushes and hairdryers), drones and RC models, in which a lightweight and compact construction is of key importance.
A single MCP1722 regulator has the ability to power a microcontroller and supply the right voltage to a gate driver (which takes part in controlling the H-bridge and the electric motor). Therefore, it is possible to lower the size and weight of the PCB.
MCP6486/7/9 operational amplifiers
Microchip’s Operational amplifiers are another noteworthy group of analogue integrated circuits. This family is offered in single (MCP6486), dual (MCP6487) and quad (MCP6489) packages. All of these products operate at voltages ranging from 1.8 V to 5.5 V and frequencies of up to 10 MHz.
Operational amplifiers are an inseparable part of analogue and mixed-signal applications. They are most frequently implemented in circuits that contain analogue (pressure, temperature, humidity etc.) sensors. They are used in output signal processing to adapt the signal to the parameters demanded by receivers, actuators and A/C converters.
Additionally, amplification of the output signal of digital-to-analogue converters (DAC) is often done through op-amps. What is more, they simplify the process of signal polarity inversion and facilitate noise filtering, which can be incredibly useful.
All MCP648X amplifiers are suitable for surface mounting.
Features:
The MCP6486/7/9 amplifiers combine the most desired features, namely low quiescent current (720 μA, maximum per amplifier), high noise resistance and low power consumption in the standard operating mode. These products have EMI (electromagnetic interference) protection with common mode rejection ratio of 61 dB at 1.8 GHz.
They also offer low max. input offset voltage of ±1.6 mV, (which is relevant in the case of low-value signals). Additionally, the amplifiers are characteristics include a fast start-up time of 2.3 µs and an extended operating temperature range (from -40°C to 125°C).
Applications:
Microchip amplifiers come in several types of packages (in different lead variants): MSOP8, SC70-5, SO8, SO14, SOT23-5, TSSOP14. Similarly to the regulators described above, these products are AEC-Q100 qualified. In the automotive industry, there application includes fuel pump controllers, lighting systems or even power mirrors.
Their technical parameters allow them to be used in industrial solutions (in power supplies, pressure detectors, optoelectronic gas and liquid flow meters) but also in the medical field (for example in patient-monitoring systems or biochemical sensors used for blood testing) and in consumer solutions (in humidity, temperature and movement monitoring systems, gas and smoke detectors, GPS trackers and many more).
Text prepared by Transfer Multisort Elektronik Sp. z o.o.
The original source of text: https://www.tme.com/in/en/news/library-articles/page/46841/analogue-and-mixed-signal-integrated-circuits-by-microchip/
