Freescale Semiconductor expanded its tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) portfolio with the addition of the wireless FXTH8715 family, featuring the industry’s smallest fully integrated package and highest pressure accuracy for trucks and other large vehicles.

The ultra-compact system integrates a dual-axis accelerometer, motion sensor, RF transmitter, low frequency receiver, pressure and temperature sensor and a microcontroller – all housed in a 7 x 7 mm package. In addition to its superior accuracy, the system’s onboard intelligence enables the collection and transmission of sensor data, including pressure, temperature and acceleration. This enables sophisticated analytics, which can improve fleet maintenance and transform tire pressure systems into value-added end-nodes for the Internet of Tomorrow.

The pressure accuracy of FXTH8715 family products is the highest in the industry (+/-17kPa vs. nearest competitor at +/- 23kPa). The family’s products also feature the highest operating range in the industry (100-1500 kPa vs. nearest competitor at 100-1300 kPa).

“Highly accurate tire pressure sensing solutions capable of communicating wirelessly offer tremendous advantages in terms of driver safety, fuel efficiency, reliability, tire wear and advance warning prognostication for trucks and heavy vehicles,” said Babak Taheri, vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Sensor Solutions Division. “Freescale’s new FXTH8715 family takes tire pressure monitoring to new levels by capturing and transmitting valuable sensor data that helps fleet managers not only monitor tire pressure, but also track driving behavior and optimise predictive maintenance. Together, these capabilities help fleets optimise vehicle usage and avoid downtime.”

The FXTH8715 system’s integrated MCU and dedicated firmware support up to 8 KB of flash memory, extending application flexibility, reducing time to market and supporting rolling encryption for a more secure solution.

“The high accuracy, optimised integration and compact footprint of Freescale’s TPMS portfolio allow us to provide users with the most reliable, durable and accurate TPMS sensor technology on the market, while also providing our customers with the industry’s most comprehensive tire performance information,” said Jeromy Mogharbel, director of engineering for PressurePro. “This information not only allows customers to recognise and correct tire problems before they become costly or dangerous due to decreased tire life, but also to reduce downtime, maintenance and fuel consumption. It gives our customers the data they need to recognise performance trends and begin transitioning their tire maintenance practices from reactive to predictive, which is a game changer.”

Key Features

·        100-1500 kPa range

·        8-bit MCU / S08 core with SIM, interrupt and debug/monitor

·        512 Bytes RAM / 16k Flash (8k for Freescale library, 8k for applications)

·        Z-axis or XZ dual axis accelerometers

·        QFN 7 x 7 x 2.2 mm package enables visible solder joint for inspection

·        Dedicated state machines for reduced power consumption

·        Internal 315/434 MHz RF transmitter

·        Internal 125 kHz LF receiver

·        6 Multi-purpose GPIO pins (including two A/D inputs)

·        Low power wake-up timer and periodic reset driven by LFO