Weartech-Sensors Archives - Page 11 of 16 - SmartCitiesElectronics.com

Compact battery chargers are dedicated to charging in tight spaces

Wed, Jul 07, 2021

As wearable, medical and smart sensor products use streamlined power management for energy harvesting hardware, e-peas has developed a family of battery charger devices, dedicated to charging. The company’s existing power management ICs (PMICs) offer direct power delivery to the application, as well as the charging of energy storage elements (such as Li-Ion batteries or super capacitors), but the AEM10900, AEM10300 and AEM30300 are fully dedicated to the charging function. This allows them to be used where a simpler implementation can be used and where there are space or cost constraints.

The PMICs achieve zero quiescent current draw from the battery. In other words, if energy harvesting stops for a prolonged period of time, the energy stored into the battery will not be wasted supplying the PMIC.

Working in conjunction with a single-cell photovoltaic panel, the integrated AEM10900 PMIC boost converter is optimised for solar-based energy harvesting implementations. It has a fast maximum power point tracking (MPPT) functionality designed for objects in movement. This allows the device to get the most energy from the ambient illumination available, storing as much as possible. It also has a 250mV cold start capability, which means it can commence with charging the battery even when light intensities are very low. AEM10900 introduces an I²C interface to minimise the pin count and to offer a larger set of potential configurations. The PMIC includes battery thermal protection, a joule counter to let the user know the amount of energy harvested, and a shipping mode in which the battery cannot be charged. The AEM10900 is suitable for wearable consumer products and body-worn medical monitoring equipment.

The AEM10300 and AEM30300 PMICs both have built-in low power DC/DC converters supporting operation over an input voltage range of 100mV to 4.5V. Adaptive energy management permits these devices to automatically switch between boost, buck-boost and buck operational configurations as deemed appropriate. This ensures that optimal energy transfer is always maintained between the respective inputs and the storage element.

The AEM10900, AEM10300 and AEM30300 battery chargers PMICs only require three external components, advises e-peas, for energy harvesting to be added while keeping the bill of materials costs low and taking up very little board space.

Geoffroy Gosset, CEO and co-founder of e-peas said: “Following on from in-depth consultations with our customer base, it became clear that having compact solutions for charging only was going to be of real value.”

The AEM10300 and AEM30300 PMICs are supplied in a 28-pin QFN package format, measuring 4.0 x 4.0mm and the AEM10900 is available in either the 28-pin QFN package or a 16-pin WLCSP (with 2.0 x 2.0mm dimensions).

http://www.e-peas.com

> Read More

Payment bracelets interpret gestures and use biometric data

Tue, Jun 29, 2021

Collaboration between Italian start-up, DEED and Infineon Technologies, is showcased at MWC21. The get bracelets interpret human gestures and use biometic data to pick up a call or make payments.

At the core of get is a system consisting of components from Infineon that enable the wearable with connectivity, computing, sensing and security capabilities. Infineon’s Secora Connect supports the payment functionality based on lowest power consumption to achieve longest battery life for the consumer. Infineon’s Xensiv MEMS technology provides high-fidelity voice recording during phone call. The PSoC 6 microcontroller family which uses a high performance dual-core M4/M0 architecture is paired with Infineon’s Airoc Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for secure, low power connectivity.

According to Edoardo Parini, CEO and founder of DEED, the bracelet’s pioneering features include new and higher security standards, an ID acquisition method for contactless payment and there is no screen. “It is the perfect bridge between ‘you‘ and ‘your’ digital-self!” said Parini.

Patented techniques have been used to create a seamless, light and water resistant wearable wristband, made up of several layers, based around a rigid-flex PCB. The intuitive human machine interface (HMI) allows for natural operation because the wearer does not have to swipe on screens or touch any display. Motion sensors with artificial intelligence (AI), for gesture recognition allow it to interpret human gestures, for example, to pick up a call, to check the time or to make payments. Consumers can use it to listen to audio or answer calls by holding their finger to their ear by ‘wrist bone conduction’, sending the sound through the body to the inner ear. Contactless payments can be released after individual electrocardiogram-based biometric identification. The bracelet also allows fitness and health monitoring.

http://www.infineon.com

> Read More

Air quality sensor personalises ozone detection

Fri, Jun 18, 2021

Low power outdoor air quality sensors have been added to the ZMOD4510 sensor platform by Renesas. The sensors are supplied in an IP67-qualified waterproof package and have an artificial intelligence (AI) –based algorithm for low power, selective ozone measurements.

The enhanced ZMOD4510 is claimed to be the industry’s first fully calibrated, miniature digital OAQ sensor solution with selective ozone measurement capabilities. They are designed to offer visibility into the air quality in users’ immediate environments for a personalised experience.

The enhanced ZMOD4510 is based on Renesas’ new low power firmware and can detect specific ozone levels – without reporting on other pollutants. Power consumption is maintained at less than 200 microW. The selective measurement capability allows devices such as smart watches, phones, and smoke detectors to monitor for harmful ozone gases typically found outdoors but which can drift indoors through open windows and doors. Optimising the ZMOD4510 for very low power is key to enabling the longer life cycles required for these types of battery-powered devices.

“The enhanced ZMOD4510 gives manufacturers the selective high precision sensing, small size, and long battery life they need for battery-powered devices that offer customers a convenient and customised view of their immediate air quality environment,” said Uwe Guenther, senior director, sensing solutions, IoT and infrastructure business unit at Renesas.

Renesas’ software-configurable ZMOD platform allows firmware updates in the field to enable new, application-specific capabilities, such as selective ozone detection.

The ZMOD4510’s ability to quantify selective ozone levels in concentrations as low as 20 parts per billion (ppb) coupled with its low power, small size and outstanding flexibility makes it suitable for mobile and wearable devices, as well as industrial applications such as wireless security cameras and parking meters.

The waterproof 3.0 x 3.0 x 0.9mm LGA package allows the sensor to operate in harsh and submersible environments. The IP67-rated sensor maintains accuracy and performance yet eliminates the need for expensive waterproofing systems.

The sensor is shipped fully calibrated in the hydrophobic and oleophobic package, and customers can apply a conformal coating on their circuitry rather than adding an external membrane to the module.

The ZMOD4510 is calibrated to the US Environmental Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index for measuring ozone, and is highly resistant to siloxanes, enabling exceptional reliability for use in harsh environments.

The enhanced ZMOD4510 platform is available now in both a standard and IP67-rated sensor package.

http://www.renesas.com

> Read More

MEMS barometric pressure sensors have lowest noise pressure, says TDK

Thu, Apr 15, 2021

Claimed to achieve the industry’s lowest pressure noise of 0.4 Pa RMS and attain the industry’s lowest power consumption of 1.3 microA, the InvenSense ICP-10125 is the latest addition to the SmartPressure family of TDK’s MEMS barometric pressure sensors.

The ICP-10125 also ensures temperature stability with a temperature coefficient of ±0.5 Pa per degrees C.

The ICP-10125 combines a barometric pressure and a temperature sensor in a small 3.55 x 3.55 x 1.45mm chimney package with waterproofing gel, providing IPX8 waterproofing to 10 ATM. The uniform machined lid and chimney with groove enable easier handling at production and assembly of customer products, says TDK. The ICP-10125 can be used in fitness, smart watch, and portable devices for fitness activity monitoring, location tracking for E911 calls, and indoor/outdoor navigation (dead-reckoning, floor/elevator/step detection).

The capacitive MEMS architecture delivers lower power consumption and lower noise than competing pressure sensors technologies, says TDK. It also has low noise and low power consumption, making the ICP-10125 suitable for wearable fitness monitoring and battery powered IoT. It can measure height change as small as 85mm, less than the height of a single stair step.

Operating temperature range is -40 to +85 degrees C.

“ICP-10125 delivers high accuracy, low power, temperature stability, and waterproofing in a small package footprint targeting the wearable market,” said Uday Mudoi, director of product marketing at InvenSense, a TDK company. “It enables determination of accurate location of E911 calls, tracks changes in elevation for activity monitoring, and extends battery life of always-on motion sensing applications.”

InvenSense ICP-10125 is available now for worldwide distribution. TDK also offers a development kit (DK-10125) and evaluation platform, as well as software to support customer development. The ICP-10125 joins the ICP-10101 and ICP-10111 pressure sensor products in the SmartPressure family.

InvenSense is a TDK Group company, providing MEMS sensors for consumer electronics and industrial areas with integrated motion and sound devices. Its portfolio combines MEMS sensors, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, compasses, and microphones with proprietary algorithms and firmware that intelligently process, synthesise, and calibrate the output of sensors, maximising performance and accuracy.

InvenSense’s motion tracking, audio and location platforms, and services can be found in mobile, wearables, smart home, industrial, automotive, and IoT products.

InvenSense is headquartered in San Jose, California and has offices worldwide.

https://invensense.tdk.com

> Read More

Compact battery chargers are dedicated to charging in tight spaces

Payment bracelets interpret gestures and use biometric data

Air quality sensor personalises ozone detection

MEMS barometric pressure sensors have lowest noise pressure, says TDK

About Smart Cities