Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced new technology and tools that expands the company’s portfolio in utility metering, home and building automation, and Smart Grid infrastructure. TI recently introduced 24 new energy meter integrated circuits (ICs) that deliver accuracy, flexibility, and system cost savings for 1-phase, 2-phase and 3-phase electricity meter solutions. The 24 new F673x/F672x devices, which achieve more precise measurements by increasing its sampling rate, are TI’s first 6xx series microcontrollers with integrated 24-bit sigma-deltas and a 320-segment LCD controller. The F673x/F672x devices are designed for ultra-low-power modes, ensuring the LCD display is consuming as little power as possible during operation.

Texas Instruments Incorporated has introduced a new family of ultra-low-power 16-bit microcontrollers that give developers more flexibility in electricity metering and energy monitoring applications.

According to TI, its MSP430 F673x/F672x devices are designed to prevent any interruption to operations “through a backup capable microcontroller supporting real-time clock (RTC) operation and power management from the main power supply and up to two separate auxiliary supplies.”

Texas Instruments has also presented the industry’s first demonstration of a radio frequency (RF) system-on-chip (SoC). Billed as a true single-chip solution, the CC2538 ZigBee SE2.0 SoC eliminates the need for an additional microprocessor and enables the development of SE2.0 compliant Smart Grid as well as remote sensor connectivity applications such as electricity, gas or water smart meters and in-home displays.

Also being introduced is TI’s high performance CC1200 RF transceiver, an evolution of the CC1120 sub-1 GHz RF performance line, that supports the full bandwidth of the 802.15.4g standard for wireless smart utility networks in the sub-1 GHz bands.

TI’s new PLC data concentrator reference demo on the Smart Grid Infrastructure (SGI) evaluation platform helps developers reduce time-to-market and gives developers the option to add PLC communication supporting different protocol standards in one design, rather than change hardware as previously required. According to TI, the SGI board “supports various PLC standards, including PRIME, G3, FlexOFDM libraries and more, all on the same hardware.”

Lastly, TI has also announced its support of the new power line communication (PLC) protocol, G3-PLC, as board of director of the G3 alliance. TI reports that its G3 software package supports its PLC product offerings such as the PLC development kits and PLC data concentrator, “enabling application compatibility with a variety of international requirements. With unique modular hardware architecture and flexible software framework, TI’s PLC solutions are the industry’s only PLC-based technology capable of supporting multiple protocol standards and modulation schemes with a single platform.”

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