Microchip Technology, Inc. recently announced the development of two new power-monitoring devices that are designed to measure power in low-voltage, high-power applications such as graphics processing units, field-programmable gate arrays, and embedded computer systems. The PAC1932/33 devices, featuring two and three channels, respectively, each measure and manage power from 0 V to 32 V on a single integrated circuit.

The PAC1932 is the first two-channel power-monitoring device that provides native 16-bit resolution, according to the company. With the ability to measure power consumption for up to 17 minutes without host intervention, the PAC1932 allows designers to extract accurate measurements without having to adjust voltage or current range. The two integrated analog-to-digital converters measure current and power simultaneously, offering engineers the opportunity to more efficiently utilize power in their designs.

By utilizing a single integrated circuit to take precise power measurements, both devices remove the need for separate components to measure different rails, which also reduces system costs as well as the bill of materials.  Each device measures voltage rails on a range of 0 to 32 V, effectively eliminating the need to reconfigure measurement resolution between low- and high-current load events. The PAC1932/33 devices are well-configured for a wide variety of applications, ranging from point-of-sale systems and ATMs to computing and building automation.