By Will Soutter
Analog Devices has unveiled a 3-axis, digital MEMS accelerometer called the ADXL362, which works in motion sensing wake-up mode at 300 nA.
Analog Devices claims that the ADXL362 is the lowest power MEMS accelerometer of the industry as its current consumption is 60% lower than that of the closest competing sensor operating in the same mode.
Since it consumes 2 mA at a data rate of 100 Hz in full measurement mode, its power consumption is 80% lower than that of competitive MEMS accelerometers working at the same frequency. This quality makes the ADXL362 suitable for applications where long battery life is essential or battery replacement is unfeasible or risky to the operator or equipment.
The ADXL362 MEMS accelerometer can be utilized as a component of an intelligent motion-activated switch that operates continuously. Its awake status output pin enables it to instantly activate a switch, which starts system operations without the help of the processor, thus further decreasing system power. Its improved sample activity detection capability enables it to accurately differentiate various types of motion, thus extending battery life by eliminating false positives and unnecessary turning on the system by the sensor.
The ADXL362 digital MEMS accelerometer features a deep internal FIFO memory block, which enables system designers to store data and stream lengthy data sets, thus saving more system power by lowering processor load. It is also equipped with two lower-noise modes and an integrated micro-power temperature sensor. Its measurement ranges are ±2 g, ±4 g, and ±8 g, with 1 mg/LSB resolution on the ±2 g range.