Farnell takes a global view for ams-Osram

Optical products for automotive, consumer, industrial and healthcare products by ams-Osram are available from Farnell.

New proximity, temperature and vital sign monitoring sensors and a comprehensive range of LEDs, photodiodes and infrared (IR) emitters by ams-Osram are available from Farnell. 

The manufacturer has extended its distribution agreement with Farnell to offer optical products for sensing, visualisation and lighting applications from a single source. 

The enhanced range of solutions from ams-Osram available for fast delivery from Farnell includes the AS621X series of temperature sensors which are claimed to deliver the industry’s best combination of accuracy and low power consumption in a tiny wafer-level package. It is suitable for a range of consumer electronic devices and wearables, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and health-related monitoring systems. The series consists of three models, including AS6212, AS6214 and AS6218, providing measurement with different temperature accuracies and low power consumption, said Farnell. The compact size of each sensor ensures ease of integration and can feature up to eight different I²C addresses, which permits eight AS6221T devices to be used on one bus with no calibration or linearisation needed. 

The TMD3725 light, colour and proximity sensor offers reduced power consumption with design flexibility for dark room or full sunlight operation. Key features include advanced proximity measurement, colour sense (RGBC+IR) and digital ambient light sensing. The senor also compensates for unwanted IR energy system crosstalk reflection and undesirable ambient light photodiode current. The slim module incorporates an IR LED and factory calibrated LED driver with RGB + IR filters, high sensitivity down to mLux levels, a 1M:1 dynamic range and 0.18 micron processing technology with 1.8V I²C. The MD3725-EVM evaluation kit for the TMD3725 sensor provides everything required to evaluate the sensor.

There is also the TMD27553M ambient light / proximity photo sensor is optimised for narrow bezel mobile phones and offers industrial design flexibility, said Farnell. It has accurate ambient light sensing, superior proximity sensing and reduced power consumption. The proximity detection feature includes object recognition using photodiode detection of reflected IR energy (sourced by the integrated VCSEL). Detect and release events are interrupt driven and occur when the proximity result crosses the upper and / or lower threshold settings. The proximity engine features a wide range offset adjustment to compensate for unwanted IR energy reflection at the sensor. Moreover, the automatic ambient light subtraction with ALS (ambient light sensor) and IR photodiodes features dedicated data converters which have the capacity to produce 16-bit data. The extremely narrow 1.1mm module incorporates an IR VCSEL and factory calibrated VCSEL driver. 

The AS7056 bio-signal analogue front end (AFE) sensor is the next generation of vital sign sensors enabling users to detect bio-signals such as PPG (photoplethysmogram) and PTT (pulse transit time) as well as proximity measurements. The AS7056 is an analogue front end optimised for size and performance to support space-limited applications, such as in-ear vital sign monitoring, hearables, optical sensor platform, fitness band, smart watch, smart patches and heart rate monitors. Optical blood pressure measurements and SpO2 are enabled by the two independent working photodiode inputs of the AS7056. The AS7056 also provides two LEDs and one VCSEL driver outputs and samples up to three photodiode inputs. 

Customers can now buy the full range of ams OSRAM’s optical solutions with fast delivery from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

https://uk.farnell.com/

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Barometric pressure sensor tracks altitude in harsh conditions

Barometric pressure sensors are a key component in fitness tracking wearables, to determine altitude. Bosch Sensortec has introduced the BMP585 robust barometric pressure sensor that can be used under water and in harsh environments.

It has a liquid-proof gel cover, which means it can be used in wearables that will be exposed to water or other liquids, including salt water and chlorinated water in swimming pools. It includes all the features of Bosch’s existing BMP581 pressure sensor with robustness and low power consumption ensures long battery life in wearables, hearables, and portable applications.

The sensor measures a change in height of just a few centimetres. It can therefore detect movements in fitness training down to the level of individual pull-ups or push-ups. “At the same time, users do not have to worry about environmental conditions – thanks to its ruggedness,” said Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO at Bosch Sensortec. 

The BMP585 provides reliable mapping data for distance travelled and meters of altitude for hiking or running trips, thus supporting GPS data and enabling accurate localisation and navigation.

With its resistance to water and chemicals, the BMP585 is also suitable for a variety of industrial use cases such as liquid-level detection. The seal blocks access to dust for clog detection in home appliances such as vacuum cleaners.

The BMP585 provides excellent relative accuracy of ±0.06hPa and typical absolute accuracy of ±0.5hPa. The BMP585 has a typical temperature co-efficient offset (TCO) of just ±0.5Pa/K and low RMS noise of 0.08Pa at 1000hPa (typical). Long-term drift over 12 months is only ±0.2hPa.

Typical current consumption of just 1.3 microA at 1Hz data rate substantially extends battery life, said Bosch Sensortec. The BMP585 offers an I2C, I3C and SPI digital, serial interface.

The BMP585 is provided in a compact nine-pin LGA package with a metal lid, measuring just 3.25 x 3.25 x 1.86 mm³, small enough to use in smartwatches and other wearables.

The BMP585 is available in Q2 2023.

https://www.bosch-sensortec.com

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Temperature and humidity sensors lead the industry in accuracy, says ScioSense

Claimed to have industry-leading accuracies in temperature and humidity sensing, the ENS21x family of digital temperature and humidity sensors has been launched by ScioSense.

In addition to “industry leading accuracies”, they are claimed to have rapid response times. The sensors have low power operation with 40nA standby current and are automotive-qualified.

The family of digital humidity and temperature sensors are accurate down to 0.1 degrees C and 0.8 per cent relative humidity. 

The ENS21x family is suitable for use in home appliances, building and automotive HVAC, cold chain management, personal health and wellness monitoring, industrial automation and instrumentation.

ScioSense’s in-house support can help integrate and customise sensors to accelerate time to market.

Product samples are available on request from ScioSense and authorised distributors. 

ScioSense is headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The company specialises in the manufacture of semiconductor-based environmental and flow sensors. Its product portfolio consists of humidity, gas / air quality, temperature, pressure and flow sensors for building automation, home appliances, IoT/wearables/mobiles, automotive and industrial applications.

https://www.sciosense.com

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Priced for consumer market, IMU is accurate and efficient, says Bosch

Priced for cost-sensitive consumer applications, the cost-effective BMI323 motion sensor inertial measurement unit (IMU) has been announced by Bosch Sensortec. It is designed with integrated features for a shorter development time.

The BMI323 is suitable for standard consumer products, such as toys, gaming controllers, remote controls, wearables, fitness trackers, smart watches, tablets and laptops.

The general-purpose, low power IMU combines acceleration and angular rate (gyroscopic) measurement with intelligent features that are triggered by motion. These make development faster and easier for OEMs, claimed Bosch Sensortec. For example, the BMI323 already includes Bosch Sensortec’s step counter software, so customers do not need to spend time developing their own algorithms. Other features include motion detection that can turn sub-systems on or off when a device, such as a TV remote control, is put down or picked up, to reduce overall power consumption.

Bosch Sensortec has improved accelerometer performance compared to the earlier BMI160 IMU and has also lowered power consumption. In high-performance mode, using both the gyroscope and the accelerometer, the BMI323 has a current consumption of 790 microA compared to 925 microA on the BMI160. This represents a reduction of nearly 15 per cent.

The six-axis BMI323 has a self-calibrating 16-bit triaxial gyroscope, a 16-bit triaxial accelerometer, and a 16-bit digital temperature sensor housed in a miniature 2.5 x 3.0 x 0.83mm3 (14-pin) LGA package. This is pin to pin compatible with the BMI160.

The BMI323 is the first IMU device announced by Bosch Sensortec to include the new I3C interface, in addition to the SPI and I2C interfaces.

The IMU is available now.

https://www.bosch-sensortec.com

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