Dolphin Integration empowers the Smart Metering market with a dense and low BoM panoply for class 0.1 reaching 1:10,000 systems

Power metering is the basic function to enable smart grids, thanks to a precise and low-cost control of power consumption for ecological and economic matters.

Grenoble, France – July 6, 2012 --Dolphin Integration, silicon IP leader in high-resolution converters for integrated circuits, offers an Analog Front-End for Power-metering reaching 20 bits of sensitivity. This AFE at 180 nm enables to satisfy the needs of a system targeting the highest performances: up to a class of 0.1 over a range of 1/10,000. The user thus benefits from a high precision measurement for either accurate billing, or wise device power management.

This offering benefits from a new design:

• highest density for the logic part and thus, minimization of power waste
• lowest Bill-of-Material thanks to the removal of external capacitors
• best sensitivity of the measurement thanks to an Automatic Gain Control enabling to adapt the gain to the signal amplitude, and allowing to reach a larger range with current transformers
• larger range for each gain, enabling to reach class and range with cheaper sensors such as shunt resistors.

The first configuration benefiting from such a design, sensAFE-20x32-PM-mono.04-LB, delivers a complete solution:

• 1 current path and 1 voltage path for the basic measurement of power
• 1 tampering path for detecting any electricity theft on either consumer or supplier networks
• 1 reference voltage presenting a low drift, compatible with class 0.1 and facilitating the calibration
• 1 linear regulator for the analog power supply insuring the lowest noise and thus, insured performances after integration

For more information on this solution, make sure to have a look at the presentation sheet for all features of this sensAFE-20x32-PM-mono.04-LB   or else contact Aurélie Descombes, product line manager: jazz@dolphin-ip.com

About Dolphin Integration

Dolphin Integration is up to their charter as the most adaptive and lasting creator in the Microelectronics Design Industry to "enable mixed signal Systems-on-Chip". It stars a quality management stimulating reactivity for innovation as well as independence and partnerships with Foundries. Their current mission is to supply worldwide customers with fault-free, high-yield and reliable sets of CMOS Virtual Components, such as mixed signal high-resolution converters for audio and measurement applications, Libraries of memories and standard cells, Power management networks, Microcontrollers. The strategy is to follow product launches with evolutions addressing future needs, emphasizing resilience to noise and drastic reductions of power-consumption at SoC level, thanks to their own missing EDA solutions enabling Support Engineering with Application Hardware Modeling as well as early Power and Noise assessment, plus engineering assistance for Risk Control