Bosch Sensortec claims a MEMS motion sensor leap, smallest BMA220 g-sensor in LGA housing

Triaxial digital sensor, 2 x 2 mm, reduces surface area 55% over current 3 x 3 LGA housings, automatically recognizes specific movements, needs no external microcontroller for signal analysis.

January 28, 2010

Bosch Sensortec introduces the smallest BMA220 g-sensor in LGA housing.

The BMA220 digital sensor from Bosch Sensortec is the smallest digital acceleration sensor in LGA housing in the world‒ it measures 2 mm x 2 mm x 0.98 mm, including LGA housing.

Bosch Sensortec says that in 2007 it was first to successfully pack sensors in LGA housings measuring only three millimeters‒ until then, the standard had been four millimeters. Miniaturization continues: The new generation of 2 x 2 LGA housings occupies 79% less surface area on a circuit board than that required for the 6 x 6 sensor that marked Bosch Sensortec’s market debut in 2005, the company says.

Smaller, more functions

BMA220, already delivered in large quantities to OEM customers, is a fully fledged, triaxial g-sensor with digital data output, four programmable measuring ranges fromones, PDAs and game controllers, as well as targeted reactions to movements, such as the ability to mute a ring tone by tapping twice on the mobile phone.

On-sensor ASIC saves battery power

The evaluation electronics integrated in the sensor obsoletes the need for intensive signal evaluation by the host application’s microcontroller. This greatly reduces energy use in the mobile device, which significantly extends battery life. BMA220 algorithms for motion recognition run internally on an ASIC, so the sensor can autonomously and automatically distinguish between a random movement, a change in its spatial position, a single tap, double taps, and between slow and fast changes in movement.

Customer can program motion recognition

The motion recognition parameters can be programmed by the customer. The sensor signals the availability of new data at the interrupt output; the sensor outputs them in conditioned form to the digital interface. This means that end product developers can avoid complex raw 3 axis acceleration data from the internal micromechanical readings recorder.

Bosch Sensortec GmbH is a subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, headquartered near Reutlingen to the south of Stuttgart (Germany). Bosch offers a wide selection of MEMS products‒ from pressure and acceleration sensors to yaw-rate sensors ‒ many used in the automotive industry. Company says its annual production is more than 200 million sensors.
www.bosch-sensortec.com

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– Browse the sensor channel .

– Edited by Mark T. Hoske, editor in chief, Control Engineering , www.controleng.com.