Bosch Sensortec Launches the World's Smallest 9-Axis Motion Sensor

Bosch Sensortec Launches the World's Smallest 9-Axis Motion Sensor

BMX160 MEMS sensor

Compact and low power design for smartphones, smart watches and other wearables

REUTLINGEN, Germany, June 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

    -- Ultra-low power consumption helps extend usage intervals of battery driven devices
-- Enables smart watch gestures, step counting, magnetic heading and device orientation
-- Pin- and register-compatible with BMI160 for design flexibility

    Today, Bosch Sensortec is launching the BMX160, a compact 9-axis motion sensor that is
ideally suited for a wide range of applications such as smartphones, smart watches,
fitness trackers, smart jewelry - e.g. rings, necklaces - as well as Augmented/Virtual
Reality devices.

(Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160618/380927 )

(Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160618/380928 )

    Compared to smartphones, wearables face much harsher space and power constraints. It's
precisely this environment where a tiny power-efficient 9-axis sensor like the BMX160
offers an ideal solution. This new sensor is housed in a compact 2.5 x 3.0 x 0.95 mm3
package, the smallest 9-axis motion sensor in the industry.

    By combining Bosch Sensortec's advanced accelerometer, gyroscope and geomagnetic
sensor technologies, the BMX160 is able to meet the increasingly more stringent low-power
requirements demanded by wearable devices. Bosch's low-power sensor technology makes this
the standout 9-axis inertial sensor on the market, reducing power consumption below 1.5
milliampere (mA). This sensor is ideally suited for applications that face extreme form
factor restraints, e.g. in smart glasses.

    "By combining Bosch Sensortec's advanced sensor technologies into a single compact
package, the BMX160 sets new industry benchmarks for high performance, tiny footprint and
low power consumption", said Jeanne Forget, Vice President Marketing, Bosch Sensortec.
"This device finally overcomes today's placement constraints in smartphones and directly
addresses the demands of wearable devices, where PCB space and low power consumption are
at an even greater premium".

    Enabling wearable applications 

    The BMX160 sensor enables Android wearable applications relying on sensor data such as
device orientation, magnetic heading or the gravity vector. Moreover, the sensor supports
applications such as 3D indoor mapping and smartphone optimized virtual reality
applications - e.g. cardboard Virtual Reality (VR). The sensor can be used in conjunction
with the Bosch Sensortec BSX sensor data fusion software library to further optimize
performance.

    The single-package BMX160 effectively replaces the present mainstream two-component
workaround solution, i.e. combination of a 6-axis IMU with a 3-axis geomagnetic sensor.
This innovative 9-axis motion sensor provides the placement flexibility necessary for
overcoming current limitations on positioning of the magnetic sensor. Pin- and
register-compatibility with Bosch Sensortec's industry-standard 6-axis BMI160
[https://www.bosch-sensortec.com/bst/products/all_products/bmi160 ] IMU simplifies the
task of upgrading designs.

    Built-in power management unit 

    The BMX160 has a built-in power management unit and ultra-low power background
application features. This enables the power-hungry application processor to remain in
sleep mode much longer, for example when counting steps, which further contributes to
extending battery recharge intervals. The integrated step counter function and the Android
compatible significant motion detector only consume 30 microampere (microA) each.

    The accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetic technology in the BMX160 have been optimized
for low offset, low noise and best temperature stability. Bosch Sensortec gyroscope
technology offers an extremely low drift, which is a key requirement for an accurate
real-time user experience, especially in augmented and virtual reality applications.

    Availability 

    Samples are available for development partners.

    Press photo: 1-BST-22282, 1-BST-22283

    Twitter: follow us on #BoschMEMS [https://twitter.com/boschmems ]

    Youtube: link [https://www.youtube.com/user/BoschSensortec ]

       
         
        Contact: 
        Tina Horstmann 
        phone: +49 7121 35-35924   
        e-mail: tina.horstmann@bosch-sensortec.com 
        EmptyBreak:MARKER 
        EmptyBreak:MARKER 
        Contact person for press inquiries: 
        Christian Hoenicke 
        phone: +49 711 811-6285 

     

    Photo:
    http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160618/380927

    http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160618/380928

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160618/380927
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Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160618/380928
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Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160618/380927
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160618/380928
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Bosch Sensortec