Microchip has introduced the PAC1761 and PAC1861 families of digital power monitors, adding accumulated energy measurement to the voltage, current and power monitoring used in 48 V systems.
Designed for automotive, data center, networking and industrial power architectures, the devices can measure up to 65 V and withstand transient spikes up to 75 V. But rather than only reporting what is happening on a power rail at a particular moment, the PAC1761 and PAC1861 can also accumulate power measurements to track energy use over time.
That gives a system another piece of information to work with. A controller can still respond to an immediate voltage, current or power excursion, but it can also act when accumulated energy reaches a configured threshold.
From Power Measurement to Energy Monitoring
Microchip has built several monitoring functions around that distinction. Programmable alerts can be set for voltage, current and power excursions, while step-limit detection identifies sudden changes in load. Configurable accumulated-energy thresholds cover behavior over a longer period.
This combination is intended for systems where both immediate electrical conditions and energy use matter. Microchip is targeting 48 V architectures used in automotive electronics, AI and data center infrastructure, servers, networking equipment, telecom and Power over Ethernet systems, industrial equipment and power distribution.
The 65 V measurement range also leaves headroom above a nominal 48 V rail. Transient spike protection extends separately to 75 V, allowing the monitors to tolerate short-duration voltage events beyond their measurement range.
The two families provide different measurement resolutions. The PAC1761 uses a 12-bit architecture, while the PAC1861 increases this to 16 bits, allowing designers to select the resolution required by the application.
Building the Monitor into a 48 V System
Microchip offers the PAC1761 and PAC1861 in VDFN-8, VDFN-10 and MSOP-10 packages, including automotive-orderable variants. Pin-compatible options are available within the families, providing a path between devices where system requirements change.
Development support includes the EV12R33A evaluation board, along with a Python command-line interface and library, Linux driver and generic C library with MCU code examples.
The PAC1761 and PAC1861 families are available now.
Learn more and read the original announcement at microchip.com.
Technology Overview
The Microchip PAC1761 and PAC1861 are digital power monitors for 48 V power architectures that combine instantaneous voltage, current and power measurement with accumulated energy monitoring. Both support measurements up to 65 V and transient spike protection up to 75 V, with programmable alerts, step-limit detection and configurable accumulated-energy thresholds. The PAC1761 provides 12-bit resolution, while the PAC1861 provides 16-bit resolution.
FAQs
What is the difference between the PAC1761 and PAC1861?
The PAC1761 provides 12-bit measurement resolution, while the PAC1861 provides 16-bit resolution. Both families support instantaneous power monitoring and accumulated energy measurement.
Why do the PAC1761 and PAC1861 measure up to 65 V?
The 65 V measurement range provides headroom above nominal 48 V power rails. The devices separately provide transient spike protection up to 75 V.
What does accumulated energy monitoring add?
Rather than only measuring voltage, current and power at a particular moment, the devices can accumulate power measurements over time. Configurable energy thresholds allow the host system to respond when accumulated energy reaches a defined level.
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