IC Temperature Sensor Accuracy Compensation with a PICmicro Microcontroller

Microchip Technology provides a number of analog and serial-output integrated circuit (IC) temperature sensors. The typical accuracy of these sensors at room temperature is within one degree Celsius. However, at hot or cold temperature extremes, the accuracy decreases non-linearly. Typically, the non-linearity has a parabolic shape. This application note derives an equation that describes the sensor's typical non-linear characteristics, which can be used to compensate for the sensor's accuracy error over the specified operating temperature range. It describes how a PICmicro Microcontroller Unit (MCU) can be used to compute the equation and provide higher-accuracy temperature reading.