MEMS acceleration sensors are optimised for wearables, says Bosch
Characterised by small packages, the BMA456 and BMA423 micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) acceleration sensors are specifically designed by Bosch Sensortech for motion and fitness tracking in wearables.
The BMA456 and BMA423 MEMS acceleration sensors offer high performance and ease of integration in compact packages, for motion and fitness tracking in wearables.
The acceleration sensors include an optimised step counter for wearable devices, integrated directly in the sensor. There is no additional external microcontroller required. This helps reduce system cost and power consumption, reduces design complexity and thus speeds up time-to-market.
Typical applications for the BMA456 and BMA423 include step counting in wearable devices such as fitness bands. The sensors can also be used for advanced gesture recognition, such as tilting of the wrist, and can detect activities like running, walking and standing still.
The BMA456 (pictured) provides the highest performance and accuracy of the family, with 16-bit resolution, noise of only 120μg/√Hz, and a total offset over its lifetime of only 20mg. Temperature co-efficient of offset (TCO) is ±0.3mg/K, ensuring activity tracking remains accurate under all conditions, says Bosch Sensortech.
The Bosch acceleration sensors are housed in compact packages measuring 2.0 x 2.0mm. The BMA456 has a very low height of only 0.65mm, enabling it to be easily designed into space-constrained wearable applications such as fitness trackers, smartwatches, and hearing devices.
Power consumption of the step counter is low, typically less than 30-microA, which helps maximise battery life in portable devices. The sensors can be used to put wearables into sleep mode even during step-counting, thereby helping to reduce overall power consumption.
These sensors are a complementary alternative to Bosch’s existing sensors for wearables and smartphones, such as the BMA455 and BMA422 acceleration sensors with integrated Android features designed for low-power smartphone applications.
The BMA456 and BMA423 will be available via distributors from August 2017.
Bosch Sensortec is a fully owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch, developing MEMS sensors and solutions tailored for smartphones, tablets, wearable devices and internet of things (IoT) applications. The product portfolio includes three-axis acceleration, gyroscope and geomagnetic sensors, integrated six- and nin-axis sensors, environmental sensors, and a comprehensive software portfolio.
http://www.bosch-sensortec.com
