Miniature barometric pressure sensor offers protection
Protected against water, dust and humidity, the small barometric pressure sensor Xensiv DPS368 is capable of measuring both pressure and temperature.
The pressure sensor by Infineon Technologies offers high precision of ±20 mm and a low current consumption for the measurement of altitude, air flow and body movements. According to Infineon, this makes the DPS368 suitable for mobile applications and wearable devices, for example activity tracking and navigation. Additionally the sensor can be used in home appliances for airflow control, in drones for flight stability and in medical devices such as smart inhalers.
The robust package can withstand being 50m underwater for one hour (IPx8) and protects the sensing cells against dust and humidity. This also facilitates board handling in an assembly line. The eight-pin LGA package measures 2.0 x 2.5 x 1.1mm³ to save up to 80 per cent space compared to other waterproof sensors, claims Infineon.
The pressure sensor element is based on a capacitive sensing principle that guarantees high precision even during temperature changes, claims the company. The internal signal processor converts the output from the pressure and temperature sensor elements to 24-bit results. Calibration co-efficients stored in the sensor are used in the application to convert the measurement results to high accuracy pressure and temperature values. The DPS368 has a fast measurement rate of up to 200Hz and fast read-out speed. The integrated FIFO memory can save up to 32 measurement results, which also contributes to power savings at system level.
The Xensiv DPS368 sensor features an average low power consumption of 1.7 microA for pressure measurements at 1.0Hz sampling rate. In standby mode, this is reduced to 0.5 microA. The sensor operates at pressure ranges from 300 to 1200 hPa and temperature ranges from -40 to +85 degrees C with a temperature accuracy of ±0.5 degrees C. Sensor measurements and calibration coefficients are available through the serial I²C or SPI interface.
The Xensiv DPS368 pressure and temperature sensor can be ordered now.
