Extended-temperature-range voltage reference ICs for automotive and industrial applications require low drift, high reliability and high performance. Microchip Technology Inc has announced the release of a high-precision voltage reference (Vref) IC that meets these needs at a cost-effective price. The new MCP1502 is an AEC-Q100 Grade 1 (-40°C to +125°C operating temperature range) automotive-qualified Vref with a maximum temperature coefficient of 7ppm/°C.

"Microchip looked at the top four aspects that customers were requesting in a Vref and made a product that combines high reliability, small package size and high performance at a very cost-effective price," said Fanie Duvenhage, vice president of Microchip's mixed-signal and linear devices business unit. "This combination of features at this price is unmatched by competitors, especially when you add our experience in serving customers in the automotive and aerospace industries who require robust products for harsh environments."

The MCP1502 is based on the already-proven MCP1501 Vref architecture, which has been in the market for more than five years. Packaged in a small six-lead SOT-23, the MCP1502 is an ideal choice for a wide variety of industrial, automotive and aerospace applications that require a high level of reliability. Microchip's MCP150x (MCP1501 and MCP1502) devices are perfect companions to Microchip's families of microcontrollers, ADCs and DACs, offering multiple voltage options for creating total system solutions that are suitable for a wide variety of applications that require stable, accurate and repeatable data conversion.