Microchip Technology has introduced two resistor-programmable, logic-output temperature switches, the MCP9509 and MCP9510 (MCP9509/10) for engine temperature monitoring.

The devices’ temperature-switch threshold is programmable with a single external resistor, which means that designers can stock one device for measuring multiple temperature points by varying the external resistance value. With an operating voltage range of 2.7 – 5.5 V and the ability to trigger for temperatures ranging from -40 to 125°C with high accuracy, the MCP9509/10 switches enable better, smaller and less expensive designs, according to Microchip.

The MCP9509 has a static operating current of 30µA and provides an open-drain output. The MCP9510 has a 50 µA static operating current and is offered in active-low push pull, active-high push pull, and active-low open-drain output configurations with an internal 100 kilo-Ohm pull-up resistor.

“These switches provide the functionality needed to accurately measure multiple temperature points in a system, while minimizing design size and cost,” said Bryan Liddiard, vice president of marketing for Microchip’s Analog & Interface Products Division. The devices represent a significant expansion of Microchip’s thermal-management product family.

The MCP9509 temperature switches are available in a 5-pin SOT-23 package. The MCP9510 comes in a 6-pin SOT-23 package. Both devices are priced at $0.61 each, in 10,000-unit quantities.