The Kynix Blog - Sensor

The Internet of Things (IoT) describes devices and applications that gather and distribute data for everyday life. Sensor devices and processes that will underpin the IoT need to be small, versatile and energy efficient. Now A*STAR researchers have developed a sensor processor node that is capable of intelligent sensing while using ultra-low levels of power.IoT applications range from biomedical signal processing to uses in vehicle-status monitoring and environmental sensing. Most IoT devices are tiny in size, which means that they typically consume only a small amount of power. This is particularly challenging for processors that sample the information from sensors and analyze the data, as their power demands, in contrast, are intense, explains Xin Liu and Jun Zhou from the research team. "The limits on the space for power sources such as batteries leads to a critical power budget at the level of the micro Watt," says Liu. "At this level, processor design becomes extremely challenging if we are to achieve ultra-low power consumption whilst maintaining comprehensive functions."Typically, the lower the operating voltage, the lower is the overall power consumption. The Institute of Microelectronics research team adopted ultra-low voltage circuitry and system design techniques, and further developed diverse hardware accelerators for high-energy efficient signal processing of sensor information.A further key advance is possible by taking a more intelligent approach to the signal acquisition, by utilizing the knowledge about the specific sensor signals. In many applications, sensor signals take the form of sudden spikes, which are best-processed using cognitive sampling technologies. The advantage of those techniques is that they reduce the amount of data that needs to be processed by about 40 per cent which greatly reduces the power consumption.Using such techniques, the researchers were able to develop a sensor node processor design that can operate on ultra-low operating voltages as low as 0.5 volts, and that use only 29 to 39 pico Joule per operation cycle.The design represents a step toward a more comprehensive set of hardware systems, explains Liu."Emerging IoT devices play a key role to support the Singapore Smart Nation initiative in a wide range of applications," says Liu. "Our research team aims to develop high energy efficiency hardware circuits and systems, to achieve high performance, artificial intelligence, high energy efficiency, and a high security level."Reference:KY45-D7E-1KY45-BU-27135-000KY45-1005447-1  

The Telecontrolli capacitive rain sensor detects precipitation rate, current precipitation intensity and its end with precision and effectiveness, avoiding false positives which can cause inappropriate operations (objects such as dirt or other particles that in preexisting optical sensors cause a reflection mimicking the one of rain and limit its effectiveness in rapidly responding to light rain).Capacitive sensing is a technology based on the change in capacity determined by the change of the dielectric constant of the material separating the electrical conductors (plates) of the capacitor following the action of external agents.Capacitive sensing is becoming a popular technology to replace optical detection methods and mechanical designs for applications like proximity/gesture detection, material analysis and rain/humidity detection, because it offers more reliable and accurate measurements than optical ones.The sensor has IDT electrodes on one side of the alumina substrate, while a resistive heater and a temperature sensor are placed on the opposite side. The rain sensitive area, which in dry conditions assumes the nominal value of 100pF. Moreover in presence of the rain, the capacitance goes to high values compared to dry conditions and the ratio changing is over 300%.The integral and configurable heater is provided to ensure that the detection surface dries quickly, protecting the surface from fog, condensed moisture and frost. It also can be disabled when power consumption is critical.The alumina substrate and the glass sensitive layer makes the sensor immune to water and moisture absorption, ensuring high resistance and long duration.Moreover, thanks to the thermal conductivity of the ceramic, the heat emitted by the heater on the back of the sensor is immediately transferred to the upper surface, making the sensor more sensitive than other technologies.Furthermore, while resistive rain sensors are sensible to corrosion and contamination, the Telecontrolli capacitive rain sensor doesn't suffer from these disadvantages, making it suitable for any type of application - including irrigation systems for agriculture, automotive wiper systems, weather stations, and applications for home and building automation.  

Housed in a compact 2.5x3.0x0.95mm3 package, the BMX160 has been announced by Bosch Sensortec as the world’s smallest 9-axis motion sensor. The device is suited for space- and power-constrained applications such as smartphones, smart watches, fitness trackers, smart jewelry (e.g. rings, necklaces) as well as AR/VR devices.By combining Bosch Sensortec’s advanced accelerometer, gyroscope and geomagnetic sensor technologies, the BMX160 is able to meet the increasingly more stringent low-power requirements demanded by wearable devices. Bosch's low-power sensor technology makes this the standout 9­-axis inertial sensor on the market, reducing power consumption below 1.5mA.Jeanne Forget, Vice President Marketing, Bosch Sensortec, commented: “By combining Bosch Sensortec’s advanced sensor technologies into a single compact package, the BMX160 sets new industry benchmarks for high performance, tiny footprint and low power consumption. This device finally overcomes today’s placement constraints in smartphones and directly addresses the demands of wearable devices, where PCB space and low power consumption are at an even greater premium.”Enabling wearable applicationsThe BMX160 sensor enables Android wearable applications relying on sensor data such as device orientation, magnetic heading or the gravity vector. Moreover, the sensor supports applications such as 3D indoor mapping and smartphone optimised VR applications (e.g. cardboard VR). The sensor can be used in conjunction with the Bosch Sensortec BSX sensor data fusion software library to further optimise performance.The single-package BMX160 effectively replaces the present mainstream two-component workaround solution, i.e. combination of a 6-axis IMU with a 3-axis geomagnetic sensor. This innovative 9-axis motion sensor provides the placement flexibility necessary for overcoming current limitations on positioning of the magnetic sensor. Pin- and register-compatibility with Bosch Sensortec’s industry-standard 6-axis BMI160 IMU simplifies the task of upgrading designs.Built-in power management unitThe BMX160 has a built-in power management unit and ultra-low power background application features. This enables the power-hungry application processor to remain in sleep mode much longer, for example when counting steps, which further contributes to extending battery recharge intervals. The integrated step counter function and the Android compatible significant motion detector only consume 30µA each.The accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetic technology in the BMX160 have been optimised for low offset, low noise and best temperature stability. Bosch Sensortec gyroscope technology offers an extremely low drift, which is a key requirement for an accurate real-time user experience, especially in AR & VR applications.Reference:KY45-EKMB1203111KY45-AMN41122KY45-EKMB1101112

The Hall-effect sensor HAL 18xy family from Micronas, a TDK group company, has been expanded with the introduction of the HAL 1860. This small, robust and cost-effective product also possesses output signal supervision capabilities.  Several programmable output signal clamping levels extend error signalling capabilities to indicate various fault conditions like under/overvoltage, under/overflow of the signal path, or overcurrent. A one-pin programming interface enables simultaneous programming of several devices through the output pins. Other major sensor characteristics like magnetic field range, sensitivity, offset and temperature coefficients are programmable in a non-volatile memory. “The small package and the protection functions of our new HAL 1860 sensor are perfectly suited for space constrained and harsh environments. The type of diagnostic and clamping used to enhance the signal integrity are usually found on higher-end devices. Furthermore, our customers will improve productivity thanks to our programming interface enabling the sensor performances to be optimised at the end of their production line. You clearly get more for less!” said Matthieu Rezé, Product Marketing Manager at Micronas. Thanks to the aforementioned benefits, the HAL 1860 can measure small angle (<90°) or linear displacement (few mm) in stringent applications. For example, it can be used as gear position detection sensor in dual clutch automatic transmission or steering torque sensor for industrial and recreational vehicles. The HAL 1860 is qualified according to AEC-Q100 and is packaged in an industry standard 3-pin TO92-UA, lead (Pb) free, with matte tin lead frame plating. It comes with two lead forming configurations: an online version with 1.27mm pin-to-pin spacing or alternatively a spread version with 2.54mm pin-to-pin spacing, better suited for welding process. Micronas will present the HAL 1860 from 8th to 11th November at the electronica exhibition in Munich (hall A6, booth 219).