The latest sensing technology has been released by Melexis at Electronica in the form of the company’s new line of commercial, off the shelf, packaged MEMs pressure sensors.
The company’s MLX90809 are targeted at 1 Bar applications, utilising piezo-resistive MEMS technology in combination with a high accuracy sensing element, low noise analogue front end and 16-bit sigma-delta analogue-to-digital converter (ADC). In effect the analogue chain provides the necessary amplification and offset compensation for the sensing element. A built-in 16-bit microcontroller unit (MCU) deals with temperature compensation and supplies the diagnostic mechanisms required for safety critical applications.
An integrated fully programmable EEPROM memory allows different configurations to be supported, such as independent setting of diagnostic functions for over-voltage or under-voltage supply conditions and over-pressure or under-pressure conditions, as well as selectable digital filter settings to further reduce output noise or alternatively to decrease sensor response time. It also permits sensor compensation data and unit identity to be stored.
The devices come in a plastic molded, 16-pin surface mount package and deliver pressure data via an analogue output voltage ratiometric to the supply voltage or using the SENT digital protocol. With has an operational temperature range of -40 °C to 150 °C, enabling the devices to remain operational in the most demanding automotive environments.
Melexis
