Embedded World: Accelerometer targets harsh IoT environments

Representative assets include materials inside shipping and storage containers, factory machinery, and battery powered products where there may be lengthy quiet periods punctuated by spontaneous, severe impacts.

ADI says that unlike comparable sensors, this ultralow power MEMS sensor has an "instant on" feature and can wake up immediately to acquire the entire waveform, which significantly reduces standby power drain.

The resulting low current requirement of less than two microamps while waiting for an impact typically yields years of operation from a single small battery when the sensor is used in a motion-activated system.

By using the accelerometer as part of a remote edge- node device in an IoT application, transient events can be captured and categorised by a localised processor beforehand by being sent to the cloud or other data centre via a wireless link.

Keeping the analysis localised saves power, time, and prevents unnecessary transfer of data for an event that is actually insignificant.

The wide bandwidth of 3200Hz and dynamic range of ±200g make it an excellent fit for a diverse set of asset health-monitoring applications including monitoring of concussions for indication of Traumatic Brain Injury in both athletes and military personnel.

The ADXL372, specified over the -40C to 105 ⁰C range, joins the ultra-low power, low g ADXL362 MEMS accelerometer as part of ADI’s broader ultralow power portfolio of sensors.

Both the ADXL372 and ADXL362 accelerometers interface seamlessly with the ultralow power ADuCM4050 microcontroller, which was recently added to the series of IoT-optimised microcontrollers.

Other leading-edge microcontrollers include the ADuCM3027 and ADuCM3029; all of these devices feature both active and hibernate modes with ultralow power demands, and target applications where power consumption, security, and robustness are key requirements.