Designers of internet of things (IoT) sensors, environmental sensors, smartwatches, medical/preventive health wearables, and other size-constrained devices can now increase battery life and functionality using the ultra-low power MAX32660 and MAX32652 microcontrollers from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. These microcontrollers (MCUs) are based on the Arm Cortex-M4 processors and provide designers the means to develop advanced applications under restrictive power constraints. […]
Wearables
Unidirectional TVS diode arrays protect I/O and power ports from ESD
Two new series of AEC-Q101-qualified, unidirectional TVS Diode Arrays are optimized to protect I/O and power ports against electrostatic discharges (ESDs). SP1053 and SP1054 Series TVS Diode Arrays (SPA Diodes) integrate avalanche breakdown diodes fabricated using proprietary silicon avalanche technology to protect each pin. These devices offer the advantages of being unidirectional and hermetically sealed […]
Super low-profile sockets for through-hole mounting in boards up to 1.57 mm thick
Mill-Max Mfg., Corp. announced its lowest profile strip sockets to date. With an above-board height of just .083” (2,11 mm) these sockets provide a reliable and convenient way to connect boards or devices. Many of today’s products, such as implantable and wearable devices for the medical industry, demand miniaturization along with high functionality and reliability. […]
Op amps, comparators said to be smallest ever
Texas Instruments introduced the industry’s smallest operational amplifier and low-power comparators at 0.64 mm2. As the first amplifiers in the compact X2SON package, the TLV9061 op amp and TLV7011 family of comparators enable engineers to reduce their system size and cost, while maintaining high performance in a variety of Internet of Things (IoT), personal electronics […]
Ultra-Low-Power battery protection IC targets wearables and small IoT devices
The GLF73510 IQSmart IC is designed to virtually eliminate wearable and IoT device battery discharge during standby or deep-sleep operation. The GLF73510 consumes an industry-leading ultra-low leakage current (ISD) of 2 nA (typ.), as much as 1,000 times less than other chips commonly used in this application. Applications for wearable and smaller IoT battery powered […]
BLE SoC targets low-power earbuds, headsets
At CES 2018, Qualcomm Incorporated announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd., introduced the new Qualcomm Low Power Bluetooth SoC QCC5100 series that is designed to help manufacturers develop a new generation of compact, feature-rich, wireless earbuds, hearables, and headsets. To help meet consumer demand for superior audio quality as well as extended battery […]
High-accuracy three-axis magnetometer features low RMS noise and current consumption
A highly accurate three-axis magnetometer combines an extremely sensitive tunnel magneto-resistive (TMR) element developed by TDK and an advanced electronic compass ASIC designed by AKM in a small package. The new TMR magnetometer on a chip, which has miniature dimensions of just 1.6×1.6×0.6 mm, features the industry’s lowest RMS noise of just 40 nT-rms and […]
New size and stations for OKW’s BODY-CASE wearable enclosures
OKW has added a new size M and two stations to its BODY-CASE range of fully wearable enclosures. Smart and comfortable BODY-CASE is designed for a wide range of wearable electronics applications including tracking and monitoring; emergency call and notification; bio-feedback sensors for healthcare, wellness and sports fitness. It can also be used for industrial […]
Smartphone biosensor tracks heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen sat, and more
MediaTek Inc. today unveiled MediaTek Sensio, the first 6-in-1 smartphone biosensor module. MediaTek Sensio is a powerful advanced health monitoring solution which makes it easy to track heart rate information, blood pressure trends, peripheral oxygen saturation levels and more. Available as an embedded module in smartphones, MediaTek Sensio makes it possible for consumers to quickly check and […]
Biometric sensors include advanced heart monitoring and ECG
Capturing your heart rate from your wearable watch or patch was slick. But fitness enthusiasts are raising the bar and expecting manufacturers to step up to the bar with them. As wearables continue to move into consumer health applications, end users are expecting additional metrics such as heart rate variability, recovery rate — basically as […]