Why do you need to measure temperature in your embedded system? Surprisingly, it is not because you need to know the actual temperature. It’s because you need to quickly and accurately evaluate changing application and system conditions. Temperature measurement is central to the functionality of Internet of Things (IoT) and personal computing devices, making it imperative that these applications incorporate temperature sensors to reduce power consumption and lower system voltage.

To meet these needs, Microchip’s new EMC181x family of multi-channel temperature sensors offers the industry’s first rate-of-change reporting feature that provides advanced warning about temperature fluctuations in a system. In addition to reporting on the regular temperature, this feature enables the EMC181x device to track the slope of a changing temperature. It then notifies you of the rate of temperature change in your system and shares data that can help better regulate your application. This added layer of protection can be used preemptively when you do not want to dedicate system overhead to track slower moving temperatures or to monitor trouble spots. Especially well- suited for closed control loop systems and other applications that prioritize lower voltage rails, this solution provides an early notification of rising or falling temperatures and protects against potential system failure.

Using a single, integrated temperature sensor to monitor temperature at multiple locations reduces board complexity and simplifies your design. Devices in the EMC181x temperature sensor family offer from two to five remote channels at 1.8V operation to meet a variety of design needs. While there are many temperature monitoring solutions currently available for use in 3.3V systems, there are fewer options that can monitor temperatures at 1.8V operation. The EMC181x family of products works at 3.3V or 1.8V to enable an easier migration path for applications that are transitioning from 3.3V systems to lower voltage rails, such as battery-operated IoT devices, personal computing devices, Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). Because they are register- and voltage-compatible with Microchip’s popular 3.3V EMC14xx family of temperature sensors, devices in the EMC181x family make the migration to 1.8V testable and achievable.

The EMC181x family also offers all the features included in Microchip’s other remote sensors, such as resistance error correction, beta compensation and a register to report the hottest temperature. These devices are also compatible with Microchip’s extensive portfolio of low-voltage and low-power microcontrollers. They are available in two popular package types: an 8-pin, 2 mm × 2 mm WDFN and a 10-lead, 2 mm × 2.5 mm VDFN, with both packages offering a standard lead spacing of 0.5 mm. This represents a 45% reduction in size when compared to the next smallest 3-, 4-, and 5-channel devices in Microchip’s portfolio of temperature sensors.

Development Support

The EMC1833 Evaluation Board (ADM00773) provides all you need to evaluate the 1.8V three-channel, two-wire EMC1833 temperature sensor. You can test out programmable features such as rate-of-change, temperature alert limits and Resistance Error Correction (REC), as well as off-board temperature measurements and data logging. These capabilities can be applied to the other members of the EMC181x family. The board connects to a PC through a USB interface board and comes with the Microchip Thermal Management Software Graphical User Interface (GUI).

When the heat is on and you need to find the right temperature sensor for your 1.8V system, the EMC181x family of devices can be ordered from microchipDIRECT or from Microchip’s worldwide distribution network. 

Want more information? Visit the website at www.microchip.com/emc1815.