San Jose, Calif.—As more consumers demand advanced connected devices that last for longer periods of time, the needs of the devices that power them become more important.
That’s where Bosch Sensortec is playing a role with the release of two new microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices that feature an always-on sensor processing capability with ultra-low power.
The BHI260 and BHA260 are the first two members of a new series of smart sensor hubs from Bosch that will be used to extend the battery life of next-generation wearables, hearables, augmented reality/virtual reality devices and smartphones.
Unveiled at this week’s Sensors Expo, the devices feature Bosch’s Fuser2 32-bit floating point CPU with 256kB on-chip SRAM. The processor delivers up to 3.6 CoreMark/MHz while drawing 950 µA at 20 MHz in long run mode and 2.8mA at 50 MHz in high performance mode. The BHI260 features a 6-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) with up to 25 GPIOs while the BHA260 includes a 3-axid accelerometer with up to 12 GPIOs. Both devices support integration of other sensor devices including GNSS and various localization systems.
Bosch said the sensor hubs are a good fit for devices such as fitness trackers, step counting devices, indoor navigation and gesture recognition.
The MEMS sensors will be available for shipment beginning in the third quarter of this year.
