Microchip expands stand-alone real-time clock/calendar family

The new RTCCs offer a lower-cost alternative to the existing MCP7941X devices, which feature 1Kbit of EEPROM memory and a 64-bit reprogrammable unique ID.

The MCP7940N addresses the need to reduce cost in smart-energy applications, such as thermostats, power meters and commercial refrigeration; home-appliances such as stoves, dishwashers and microwave ovens; automotive dashboard controls and car radios; as well as in consumer-electronic products such as office equipment, irrigation controls and video systems.

With its on-chip battery-switchover circuit and power-fail timestamp, the MCP7940N RTCC provides a real-time clock with back-up power to maintain time and alarm settings when the main power is turned off, for applications such as cameras and notebook PCs. In other applications, such as commercial refrigeration, point-of-sale equipment and security systems, the MCP7940N addresses the need for a real-time clock with a power-fail monitor to capture and store the timeframes when the main power fails.

In applications such as the storage of perishable goods, or monitoring of access to secure rooms, the MCP7940N RTCC helps to address system health, safety and security issues. The digital-trimming feature can support software temperature compensation, which lowers costs compared to using devices in which temperature compensation takes place in hardware. The MCP7940N further reduces overall system cost by allowing information to be stored temporarily in its 64 bytes of SRAM.

Developers can begin designing today with Microchip’s MCP79410 RTCC PICtail™ Plus Daughter Board (AC164140), priced at $45, which can also be used with Microchip’s existing MCP794XX family of devices. This daughter board works with Microchip’s Explorer 16 Development Board (DM240001), PIC18 Explorer Board (DM183032), PICkit™ Serial Analyzer (DV164122), and XLP 16-bit Development Board (DM240311).

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