4 Real World Applications

In most of the power-critical real world applications designed using high-end 32-bit microcontrollers and microprocessors, using a separate integrated circuit for the effective system power supply control and management is a very common practice. Certain applications may require a simple power-supply control device, but with extended abilities such as dynamic configuration of system sleep duration and timely-control the system power supply through linear drop-out voltage regulator circuit. In applications such as these, using a PIC16F family microcontroller as the secondary microcontroller to control the system power supply meets the application requirements, and also keeps the solution cost-effective.

This section highlights a real-world application where a PIC16F family microcontroller can be used as secondary microcontroller in a system for power supply control.

A good example for a use case is a GPS tracking and driver-assistance device fitted in school transportation vehicles. The device is required to track vehicle movement for a fixed range of hours in the morning and evening, and goes into an inactive state for the rest of the time. The device draws power from the 12V battery of the vehicle’s electrical system; the vehicle alternator keeps the battery charged while it is in running state. But there is a potential risk of the device draining the battery over extended inactive periods, such as weekends and holidays. To mitigate this problem, a PIC16F family microcontroller can be used as a secondary microcontroller on the tracking device to control the power supply of the device through a voltage regulator circuit. This allows the device to only power-up the process computer during the scheduled periods, thus avoiding running down the vehicle’s battery.

There are numerous other applications where PIC16F family microcontrollers can be used as the secondary microcontroller for controlling the power supply of the system, such as:

  • battery-powered outdoor weather stations
  • automated vending machines
  • automated ticketing systems
  • digital signage
  • home and building automation
  • motor control