Sensors Converge: Sensors, partnerships and demos

The Sensors Converge 2024 conference, held June 24–26, featured some of the latest advances in sensor and sensing solutions. The show, with over 200 exhibitors, also highlighted recent partnerships that advance the integration of sensor technologies into a range of applications, from hearables to IoT devices.

While sensor trends continue to focus on shrinking solution and package sizes, this year’s conference also highlighted the need for partnerships to reduce system complexity, ease the integration of sensors and enable enhanced product designs.

Here is a sampling of new sensors and partnerships featured at this year’s show.

Sensor innovations

MultiDimension Technology Co. Ltd. (MDT) announced the release of its TMR3016 and TMR3017 tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensors. These ultra-compact TMR sensors, housed in a DFN4 package (0.8 × 0.4 × 0.23 mm), target consumer electronics applications such as micro-displacement measurement in voice coil motors for smartphone camera modules, as well as on-axis or off-axis angular position measurement for smart wearable devices.

Both sensors feature a single full-bridge with four high-sensitivity TMR sensing elements. They are designed to operate under saturation magnetic fields, MDT said, where the output signals vary only with the angular direction of the magnetic field and are independent of the field strength. This makes them inherently resistant to stray field interference, the company said.

The TMR3016, a single-axis sensor, provides two differential output signals representing the sinusoidal waveform of the angular direction of the magnetic field. The TMR3017 offers two single-ended output signals, representing the sine and cosine waveforms of the magnetic field’s direction, enabling dual-axis 360° measurement and temperature-compensated solutions. Both devices are RoHS- and REACH-compliant.

 

Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. displayed its portfolio of smart sensor innovations, ranging from MEMS inertial sensors and accelerometers to AMR magnetic switch sensors and CO₂ and soil sensors.

One of Murata’s most recent introductions is the SCH16T-K01 six-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) inertial sensor that combines an XYZ-axis gyroscope and XYZ-axis accelerometer for high-precision machine control and positioning applications. This device is the first product launched in Murata’s next-generation SCH16T 6DoF family. Additional variants are expected in the future.

Murata said it has updated and enhanced its 3D MEMS process for the SCH16T product family.

The SCH16T-K01 includes a gyro with typical bias instability of 0.5°/hour and up to 0.3-m°/s/√Hz noise density. The accelerometer offers a dynamic range of up to 26 g, which provides resistance against saturation and vibration, Murata said.

The inertial sensor also claims excellent linearity and offset stability over the entire temperature range of –40°C to 110°C and highly accurate measurements in machine control and guidance without the need for field calibrations. Target applications include industrial, such as construction and agricultural machines, material-handling equipment and marine instrumentation.

Other MEMS sensors on display include the SCHA634 automotive 6DoF MEMS sensor with centimeter-level position accuracy; the SCL3400 two-axis inclination MEMS sensor for inclination and structural health applications; and the SCG30E 3D MEMS accelerometer sensor element. Additional sensors showcased include the MRMS591P 360° AMR magnetic switch sensor, suited for medical and smart-meter applications; the IMGXCZ0301 self-calibrating CO₂ sensor; and the SLT5000 three-in-one soil sensor.

Posifa Technologies Inc. showcased its new A2L refrigerant leak detection sensors, along with its portfolio of hydrogen sensors and vacuum gauges. The MEMS A2L refrigerant leak detectors, using thermal conductivity technology, offers high-precision detection with a threshold as low as 20 ppm to ensure the safety and efficiency of HVAC/R systems.

Posifa’s most recent A2L refrigerant leak detectors for residential and commercial air conditioning systems, heat pumps and refrigeration equipment include the PGS6000 sensors for detecting R32 and R454B refrigerants. They detect A2L refrigerant concentration in the air by measuring the change in thermal conductivity of the gas mixture inside the cabinet. This technology enables early detection of leaks while providing long-term reliability of 15 years or more in harsh environments, Posifa said.

The PGS6000 series uses the company’s second-generation MEMS thermal conductivity sensing element and a patented heat transfer cavity that delivers highly sensitive and repeatable thermal conductivity measurement, Posifa said, by eliminating possible occurrences of natural convection inside the cavity.

The detectors integrate a relative humidity sensor and a barometric pressure sensor, which enables the detectors to compensate for thermal conductivity changes influenced by variations in humidity and barometric pressure, enhancing the accuracy of A2L refrigerant concentration measurement.

The PGS6000 series offers a fast response time of <250 ms and compensation for humidity and pressure, which ensure accurate functioning in harsh environments. The sensors do not have lamps or delicate optical paths to break and are non-reactive to “poisons” or contaminants, guaranteeing long-term stability and reliable performance, the company said.

Posifa also demonstrated hydrogen sensor solutions for applications such as leak detection, process control and safety systems and MEMS Pirani gauges for atmosphere to medium vacuum applications.

TDK Corp. showcased its complete lineup of sensing solutions across a range of applications, including automotive, consumer, industrial and robotics, along with software sensing solutions in machine learning (ML) and positioning. Demos feature magnetic sensors, MEMS sensors, temperature and pressure sensors, ultrasonic sensors and positioning software for a variety of applications, such as robotics, wireless power transfer, energy harvesting, ML, IoT and automotive, including e-mobility, advanced driver-assistance systems and positioning.

TDK announced the worldwide distribution of its new InvenSense SmartSound T5848 I²S microphones to enable intelligent keyword, voice command and sound detection at ultra-low power. Along with the InvenSense SmartSound T5838, the T5848 I²S microphone supports edge and generative AI systems with its innovative Acoustic Activity Detect (AAD) feature, targeting IoT applications including smartwatches, TV remotes, home security, augmented-reality (AR) glasses, action cameras, smart speakers and TWS earbuds.

Both the T5848 and T5838 microphones for low-power edge AI applications offer high performance at low power. In high-quality mode, the T5848 and T5838 deliver 68-dBA signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and 133-dB SPL acoustic overload point, providing excellent sound fidelity for accurate keyword detection even in noisy environments while consuming only 330 µA at 1.8 V. They consume 130 µA in always-on low-power mode, extending the battery life of always-on systems. With the AAD feature, these MEMS microphones can be programmed to listen for acoustic activity indicating keywords or voice commands, allowing the application’s processor to manage power consumption during idle periods.

Key features unique to the T5848 include the I²S interface for simpler system design in always-on edge and generative AI systems. The interface saves components in the system and reduces processing requirements, such as filtering the microphone output in the system hardware or software. The device also offers high SNR to ensure high-quality input even in noisy environments where keywords or voice commands must be distinguished from irrelevant background noise, TDK said.

The T5848 microphones are available now for evaluation and integration into devices.

Sensor partnerships

Partnerships come in a variety of flavors. These can range from two companies leveraging their best-in-class technologies to deliver enhanced end products to component manufacturers extending their ecosystems to make it easier for their customers to design in their devices and solutions.

One of those partnerships is Aizip and Bosch Sensortec. These companies are collaborating to bring excellent voice clarity in noisy environments for true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds. Aizip worked with Bosch Sensortec to develop the ZenVoice Bone, a deep noise-reduction algorithm designed to enhance voice clarity in TWS earbuds. This collaboration leverages Bosch Sensortec’s BMA550 bone conduction sensor and Aizip’s advanced neural network architecture.

The companies jointly applied for the 2024 Best of Sensors Award at the Sensors Converge Conference and Expo and won in the Medical & Wearables section, a recognition of their collaborative efforts to revolutionize noise reduction in TWS earbuds. They can also be used in other hearables, such as hearing aids and headsets.

The BMA550 accelerometer is described as a body sound sensor for sensing bone-conducted voice in hearables. It enables ambient noise filtering through smart “voice enhancement.”

Claiming 5× to 7× lower noise than standard accelerometers, the BMA550 offers clear body sound that is critical for noise suppression and speech enhancement, the company said. Other features include low power consumption and a wide signal bandwidth of up to 2,350 Hz, making it suitable for always-on speech/voice applications.

Complementing the BMA550 is Aizip’s Zenet neural network architecture that provides highly efficient audio processing capabilities. ZenVoice Bone models achieve a tenfold reduction in processing power and memory requirements without compromising noise-handling efficiency. They maintain underlying speech while removing most noise, even in signal-to-noise ratios as low as –15 dB, and operate efficiently on resource-restricted hardware, with models ranging from 60 to 300 kB in memory footprint, supporting real-time noise elimination with minimal latency.

Unveiled at Sensors Converge, TDK Corp.’s new InvenSense Sensor Partner Program was created to help designers accelerate their IoT designs using InvenSense MEMS sensors in a range of applications, including wearables, hearables, AR, virtual reality and robotics. The new InvenSense ecosystem partnerships will enable more engineers and developers to access its technologies with a range of reference designs, evaluation/development kits, modules and software algorithms.

The partner program gives users—from ODMs and OEMS to developers, engineers and tech enthusiasts—the ability to work with a variety of InvenSense MEMS sensors, such as motion sensors, industrial motion modules, microphones, pressure sensors and ultrasonic sensors, in real-world examples using partner reference kits. The goal is to help them develop more accurate, reliable and efficient solutions while also delivering a faster time to market and lower cost of ownership.

Under the program, InvenSense is combining all of its latest products, including microphones, time-of-flight sensors, consumer motion sensors and industrial motion sensor modules, with its software and selling them to customers in a “more solution-centric approach to solve customer problems.”

Initial InvenSense Sensor Partner Program members include microcontroller (MCU)/system-on-chip, sensor and AI chipmakers as well as solution/software providers and distributors/design houses. Partners include Renesas Electronics, Ambiq Micro, Qualcomm Technologies, Alif Semiconductor, Ambarella, AON Devices, Syntiant, Isentek, MindMics and Avnet. The company expects to add new partners quarterly.

Powering sensor applications

Designers face several challenges when it comes to powering wireless sensors: power consumption, energy efficiency and operating life. They are also concerned about how their designs impact sustainability and the environment. These challenges and concerns are driving the need for energy-harvesting solutions.

E-peas SA’s energy-harvesting power management ICs (PMICs) were used to power several standalone sensor demonstrations at the show. One of those demos included a battery-free, Wi-Fi–based and extremely low-power backscatter chip powered by ambient light. HailLa Technologies Inc. and e-peas showed a solution for long-life energy storage for Wi-Fi–connected wireless sensors, demonstrating industry-first ambient-powered sensing over Wi-Fi.

Leveraging the HaiLa BSC2000 Wi-Fi passive backscatter RF chip and the e-peas AEM10941 photovoltaic energy-harvesting energy management IC, the solution provides real-time temperature and humidity data updates from a commercial sensor communicated over Wi-Fi, powered by ambient light collected from a small photovoltaic panel. Solutions based on extreme low-power RF and highly efficient PMICs reduce and eliminate the reliance on standard batteries, mitigating sensor network operating costs and environmental waste, according to the companies.

The HaiLa BSC2000 RF evaluation chip is the first monolithic analog and digital implementation of HaiLa’s passive backscatter technology adapted to Wi-Fi RF bands. It supports an SPI interface for seamless connectivity to a wide range of IoT devices, such as multi-channel temperature and humidity sensors, in low-power wireless communications.

Part of the ambient energy managers (AEM) portfolio, the e-peas AEM10941 is an integrated energy management circuit that extracts DC power from up to seven photovoltaic cell elements to simultaneously store energy in a rechargeable element and supply the system with two independent regulated voltages.

E-peas also introduced new development kits with its latest energy-harvesting PMICs for sensor nodes at the edge, including the AEM10920 and AEM00920 and their evaluation kits in two form factors (a credit-card-sized unit and a smaller, 15 × 17-mm board).

Powercast Corp. unveiled a new technology solution for creating, deploying and perpetually powering Matter-compliant wireless smart-home automation sensors. These sensors integrate into smart-home ecosystems such as Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Samsung SmartThings using Matter. These sensors also install easily anywhere and eliminate the need for expensive home wiring and battery maintenance while keeping disposable batteries out of landfills.

Powercast’s Wireless Smart Home Automation Sensor solution is perpetually powered by the company’s RF over-the-air (OTA) wireless charging technology. Manufacturers will embed Powercast’s Powerharvester PCC110 wireless RF receiver chip and a small antenna into their sensors for about $1 at volume, then use a rechargeable battery or no battery at all, the company said, enabling either battery-free or rechargeable-battery-based sensors to power themselves over the air from nearby RF transmitters.

The Powerharvester PCC110 receiver chip (in an SC-70 package) operates across a wide RF power (–17 to 20 dBm) and frequency (10 MHz to 6 GHz) range to convert RF to DC with up to 75% efficiency.

One RF transmitter in a room can power sensors installed up to 25 feet away, and with one transmitter in each room, it will create a wireless power network. RF transmitter options include a licensable reference design that lets manufacturers integrate the electronics needed to convert their household products into Ubiquity RF transmitters.

The range for OTA RF charging depends on how much power a device consumes, Powercast said. Power-hungry devices must be closer to a transmitter, while ultra-low-power devices such as IoT sensors can work up to 120 feet away. Sensor examples include contact (window and door), door lock, temperature, light, humidity, water and motion.

The technology works with the Matter smart-home connectivity standard and Thread wireless communication protocol, delivering interoperability between devices and integration into industry-standard ecosystems such as Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Samsung SmartThings.

The solution was named a finalist in the Best of Sensors Awards program at Sensors Converge. The demo included a Powercast-designed, Matter-compliant low-power window sensor, showing that it can charge up to 25 feet away from the transmitter using Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52840 Thread-compliant MCU.