Date: 26/10/2010

ADI's energy metering IC with theft protection

Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) has released an energy metering IC (integrated circuit) that enables smart meters to provide protection against electricity theft. The ADE7953 energy metering IC is designed for single-phase meter configurations and is suitable for electrical needs of homes ranging from small apartments to large residences in which many appliances and electronic devices are used. The IC provides neutral current measurements that help designers develop tamper-proof smart meters.

"The ADE7953 improves customer billing accuracy, which in turn lowers utility operating costs, such as customer service," said Ronn Kliger, Energy Group director, Analog Devices. "The neutral current measurement offered by the new device enables designers to develop more tamper-resistant smart meters, which are invaluable to utility companies that are estimated to lose billions of revenue dollars worldwide each year due to electricity theft."
ADE7953 Single-Phase Multifunction Metering IC Features and Benefits

The ADE7953 can acheive less than 0.1% error for both active and reactive energy calculations over a range of 3000:1. For neutral current, the device offers less than 0.1% error active and reactive energy over a 1000:1 dynamic range. The device also measures apparent energy along with rms voltage and current and provides waveform sampling, instantaneous power readings and power quality indications that include voltage sag, peak voltage and peak current. The ADE7953 incorporates three sigma-delta ADCs (analog-to-digital converters) with a high accuracy metrology engine. The ADE7953 energy metering IC is suggested for a variety of current sensors applications, such as low value shunt resistors and current transformers. Two on-chip integrators also facilitate the use of di/dt sensors for current inputs.

Other features of the ADE7953 include:
--Rms current and voltage measurements are offered with less than 0.2 percent error over a 500:1 dynamic range
--Access to on-chip meter registers via a variety of communication interfaces including SPI (serial peripheral interface), I2C or UART (universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter)
--Two configurable pulse output pins provide outputs that are proportional to active, reactive, or apparent energy, as well as rms current and voltage
--A full range of power quality information, such as overcurrent, overvoltage, peak and SAG detection are accessible via the external IRQ pin
3.3-V supply operation

Package: 28-lead LFCSP

Price: Each US$2.15 for 1K pieces

Availability: Sampling now. Volume production expected in January 2011