Build Smarter, More Resilient 48V Power Systems with Energy-Aware Digital Power Monitoring from Microchip
CHANDLER, Ariz., Sept. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As automotive, AI/data center, networking and industrial systems quickly migrate toward 48V power architectures to improve efficiency and support higher power demands, designers need more than visibility into instantaneous voltage and current conditions. They need systems that understand energy use over time and can respond intelligently to changing power conditions. Microchip Technology (Nasdaq: MCHP) today announced the PAC1761 and PAC1861 families of 65V energy-aware digital power monitors that combine accumulated power-measurement insights with the necessary high-voltage measurement headroom and transient spike protection capabilities to help make 48V power architectures more efficient and resilient.
The move to 48V power architectures demands that digital power monitors have an additional operational margin of up-to-65V measurement and 75V of spike protection to ensure transient survivability. The PAC1761 and PAC1861 devices add to these capabilities the intelligence to understand and react in real time to energy usage dynamics based on accumulated power measurement data.
“The industry conversation is shifting from measuring power at a single point in time to understanding and responding to energy behavior across an entire system and its lifecycle,” said Keith Pazul, vice president of Microchip’s mixed-signal linear business unit. “The PAC1761 and PAC1861 families are designed to help customers build better performing and more reliable 48V systems that can measure instantaneous conditions and understand energy consumption and availability over time. These scalable, low-power solutions reduce monitoring overhead and include pin-compatible package options that improve source flexibility while reducing design risk.”
Microchip’s digital power monitoring devices feature programmable alerts for voltage, current and power excursions, step-limit detection to identify sudden load changes, and configurable accumulated-energy thresholds that enable proactive system management based on both instantaneous and long-term power behavior.
Target applications include automotive, AI/data center, networking, industrial, server, telecom/Power over Ethernet (PoE) and 48V power distribution systems. The 12-bit PAC1761 and 16-bit PAC1861 options are available in VDFN-8 (similar to SOT23-8), VDFN-10 and MSOP-10 packages including automotive-orderable variants. Pin-compatible options can reduce redesign risk, shorten qualification cycles and give customers flexibility to move between devices as requirements, availability, cost or performance change.
Development Tools
Development support includes evaluation board EV12R33A, a Python Command Line Interface (CLI) with library, Linux® driver and generic C library with multiple MCU code examples.
Pricing and Availability
Products in the PAC1761 and PAC1861 families are available now starting at $0.56 each in 10,000-unit quantities for the PAC1761T-3E/E3 and PAC1861T-1E/3P, both in the MSOP-10 package. The price of the evaluation board EV12R33A is $49.00. You can purchase directly from Microchip or contact a Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor.
Resources
High-res images available through Flickr or editorial contact (feel free to publish):
- Application image: www.flickr.com/photos/microchiptechnology/55488013925/sizes/o/
- Tool photo: www.flickr.com/photos/microchiptechnology/55487739878/sizes/o/
About Microchip Technology:
Microchip Technology Inc. is a broadline supplier of semiconductors committed to making innovative design easier through total system solutions that address critical challenges at the intersection of emerging technologies and durable end markets. Its easy-to-use development tools and comprehensive product portfolio supports customers throughout the design process, from concept to completion. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support and delivers solutions across the industrial, automotive, consumer, aerospace and defense, communications and computing markets. For more information, visit the Microchip website at www.microchip.com.
Note: The Microchip name and logo and the Microchip logo are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.
Editorial Contact:
Brian Thorsen
480-792-7182
brian.thorsen@microchip.com
