Advancements in Smart Sensors for Sustainable Industrial Systems Unveiled at Sensor + Test 2024

STMicroelectronics attended the international trade fair SENSOR + TEST 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany from June 11th to 13th, 2024. The event, which drew over 5,000 attendees, highlighted the latest developments in sensor technologies. It provided a great chance for STMicroelectronics to engage with customers and partners and discover potential new business prospects.

At the event, we showcased our newest sensing technologies designed to enhance efficiency and safety in industrial systems. Our products featured improvements in condition monitoring, low-power vision, intelligent perception, and current monitoring. This article will outline some of the main demonstrations available for attendees to engage with.

The ISM330BX is an IMU that can be used in various industries, including condition monitoring, robotics, and appliances. It consists of a 3-axis digital gyroscope and accelerometer, along with embedded intelligence for tasks like monitoring conditions, tracking orientation in 3D, and measuring vibrations. It is particularly useful for applications like detecting anomalies in water circuits and pumps.

The IMU is well-suited for monitoring the condition of equipment due to its 3-axis accelerometer that has a low-noise, wide-bandwidth (2 kHz) frequency response. This feature allows it to meet the stringent ISO-10816 vibration severity standards. In addition to monitoring conditions, the ISM330BX can also be utilized in robotics applications. It provides reliable 3D orientation tracking with sensor fusion low power (SFLP) technology, allowing for efficient operation with high accuracy. Furthermore, its vibration sensing capabilities make it even more suitable for use in robotic systems.

One of the features of this system includes the ability to measure and compensate for vibrations, detect anomalies to identify faults, and detect water leaks using Qvar sensing. This system-in-package is included in STMicroelectronics' longevity program, ensuring that it will be available and supported for at least 10 years after its introduction. This is important for applications that have long development cycles or extended lifespans in the field.

The TSC2020 current sense amplifier is well-suited for applications such as motor control, battery management systems, and solenoid valves. It offers high precision with minimal offset voltage (up to ±150 µV) and temperature drift (0.5 µV/°C), low gain error (maximum 0.3%) and drift (3.5 ppm/°C), and can be used in systems with a wide range of common-mode voltages (-4V to +100V) for high voltage applications.

The dual-direction current sensing feature provides flexibility, while the high common-mode rejection ratio (100 dB minimum) reduces noise for accurate measurements. The design includes built-in EMI filters, improved PWM rejection, a wide temperature range (-40°C to +125°C), and AEC-Q100 certification for use in automotive applications. Additionally, users have the option to choose from internal fixed gain settings (20V/V, 50V/V, or 100V/V) to avoid the need for external resistors. The versatile pin configuration allows for both dual-directional and single-directional current sensing using only two reference voltage pins (Vref1 and Vref2). Available in SO8 and MiniSO8 packages, it saves space on the PCB. The TSC2020 is part of STMicroelectronics' comprehensive line of current sense amplifiers, offering a wide selection of high-performance devices.

The VD55G1 is a new type of smart vision system that is designed to be compact and energy-efficient. It features a 0.56MP global shutter sensor with 2.16µm pixels, making it suitable for small devices like AR/VR glasses. In addition to its small size, the VD55G1 is known for its low power consumption, making it perfect for battery-powered devices such as security cameras. It also includes a smart auto wake-up feature that allows the sensor to conserve power by only activating when needed, rather than constantly drawing power.

Additionally, the VD55G1 camera is equipped with built-in functions such as automatic exposure adjustment and noise reduction, resulting in excellent image quality. It can remove background interference and record event frames with synchronized data. The camera can be easily integrated with other systems through its MIPI CSI-2 output and I²C/I3C interfaces.

STMicroelectronics has unveiled the STHS34PF80, a cutting-edge uncooled infrared sensor designed for detecting occupancy in various applications. Unlike conventional PIR sensors, the STHS34PF80 can detect both still and moving objects within an 80° field of view. This is made possible by its high sensitivity (2000 LSB/°C) operating in the wavelength range of 5 µm to 20 µm.

Furthermore, this sensor can detect when a person is within 4 meters without the use of large Fresnel lenses, making integration easier with its compact 3.2 x 4.2 x 1.455 mm LGA package. The sensor contains built-in algorithms for detecting human presence and movement, reducing the need for external microcontrollers. This results in the sensor consuming very little power, only 10 µA at 1Hz, which helps to create environmentally friendly product designs.

Learn more about Sensor + Test 2024 by visiting the website for additional information.

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