Bosch launches new generation of smart sensor hubs BHI260AB and BHA260AB for wearables, hearables, AR/VR and other mobile devices
Combination of state-of-the-art MEMS sensors with an ultra-low power, high performance sensor coprocessor
"Compared to existing hub solutions, our second-generation sensor hubs offer a significant increase in processing power, whilst further reducing power consumption," says Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO of Bosch Sensortec. "These new sensor hubs are the ideal solution for always-on applications such as fitness tracking, step counting, indoor navigation and gesture recognition. Further members of the family will follow to further expand the already impressive feature set. This will enable manufacturers to noticeably differentiate their products to gain a decisive competitive advantage."
Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO of Bosch Sensortec
To cut time-to-market and reduce design effort for OEMs, Bosch Sensortec has created an open development platform for these devices. This includes a comprehensive integrated software framework in ROM, evaluation kits and a Software Development Kit (SDK).
Powerful CPU combined with precise inertial sensors
To facilitate more complex processing tasks such as automated activity recognition and context awareness, the BHI260AB and BHA260AB feature "Fuser2" – a 32-bit floating point CPU with 256 kB on-chip SRAM. The CPU draws merely 950 µA at 20 MHz in the super-efficient 'long run' mode, and 2.8 mA at 50 MHz in the high performance 'turbo' mode. The processor delivers up to 3.6 CoreMark/MHz.
The new Bosch sensor hub family includes state-of-the-art 16-bit MEMS sensors, a 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) in the BHI260AB or a 3-axis accelerometer in the BHA260. They provide extensive connectivity, up to 25 GPIOs for BHI260AB and up to 12 GPIOs for BHA260AB, and support for integration of other sensor devices, including GNSS and various localization systems.
The smart sensor hubs are compact enough to easily fit into small products such as hearables and wearables. The BHI260AB comes in a 44 pad LGA package and measures just 3.6 x 4.1 x 0.83 mm³. The BHA260AB is packaged in a 22 pad LGA package and measures 2.7 x 2.6 x 0.8 mm³.