In addition to radar, LiDAR and camera sensing used in 3D obstacle detection and collision avoidance in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in vehicles, ultrasonic sensing has been used as well. Traditionally, the ultrasonic sensors used transducer-based technology to provide a microphone to transmit and receive the ultrasonic signal in passenger vehicle parking applications. Using Infineon’s […]
MEMS & Sensors
PIGAs can indeed fly – and are still the best, Part 1: Frame of reference
The PIGA is the oldest accelerometer, is widely used in rocketry and guidance, and is still the best – but MEMS-based devices are getting closer. When you see an inexpensive drone, a more sophisticated one, an unmanned aircraft, a standard piloted aircraft, guided or intercontinental ballistic missile ICBM), an underwater drone or submarine, or a […]
Sensor processing unit integrates DSP to run AI algorithms and MEMs sensors on same silicon
STMicroelectronics announced the launch of the Intelligent Sensor Processing Unit (ISPU) that combines a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) suited to run AI algorithms and MEMS sensor on the same silicon. In addition to reducing size over system-in-package devices and cutting power by up to 80%, merging sensor and AI puts electronic decision-making in the application Edge. Here, it […]
How can a MEMS microphone be used in harsh environments?
The answer depends on how harsh of an environment and how much protection is required. For a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone, one of the most-harsh environments is the human body, since sweat and dirt can cause failures in traditional MEMS microphone architectures. Regarding the protection, the International Electrochemical Commission’s (IEC’s) IEC 60529 rating system defines different […]
MEMS microphones excel in high dynamic range environments
TDK Corporation introduced three new digital MEMS microphones as part of the SmartSound family of products for mobile, TWS, IoT and other consumer devices. Each of these high-performance microphones push the boundaries of microphone acoustic performance, providing advanced feature sets in small package footprints. The T5837/38 PDM MEMS microphones offer high acoustic overload point (AOP) […]
Six-axis MEMS motion sensors features supreme vibration rejection, temperature stability
TDK Corporation announced the availability of the InvenSense ICM-45xxx SmartMotion ultra-high-performance (UHP) family of 6-axis MEMS motion sensors. This family introduces the on-chip self-calibration, industry’s lowest power consumption, and world’s first BalancedGyro™ (BG) technology. BalancedGyro technology by TDK is the first-of-its-kind gyroscope MEMS architecture that enables supreme vibration rejection and temperature stability performance, an enhancement […]
MEMS DC accelerometer chips optimized for low-g work
Silicon Designs, Inc. announced the global market launch of its Model 1525 Low-G Series of MEMS DC accelerometer chips, with stock quantities now available for immediate customer shipment. The Silicon Designs Model 1525 Low-G Series is designed to offer reliable, accurate, and repeatable low-frequency (including seismic) vibration and acceleration measurements within a variety of inertial- […]
How did COVID-19 impact the MEMS Industry Commercialization Report Card?
The MEMS Industry Commercialization Report Card has been conducted annually since 1998 by Roger Grace, President of Roger Grace Associates. Using a Delphi approach by soliciting input from a limited number of industry insiders and experts, the report provides valuable insight into the MEMS industry. Responses that he received for the 2020 report card took […]
Smart fabric sensor designed for next-gen human interaction
BeBop Sensors has announced a new smart fabric sensor designed for next-gen human interaction. The Note Touch reference design includes a small fabric sensing array (16×16 nodes) and a software toolkit to experiment with touch interfaces on any curved or flat surface and rapidly bring new ideas to market. Using gestures such as taps, swipes, and multi-touch, […]
Nuances of low power MCUs for wireless sensors and wearables
The optimization of microcontrollers (MCUs) in power-sensitive applications such as wireless sensor nodes and wearables is all about maximizing power management effectiveness. To minimize power consumption, low-power MCUs typically operate at frequencies below 50 MHz, compared with hundreds of MHz or even 1+ GHz for conventional MCUs. These power-optimized MCUs also use low-power peripherals; they […]
