Temperature sensors provide 35 times better power efficiency

The sensors are suitable for HVAC, white goods, computer equipment, asset tracking, cold chain storage, industrial control and medical equipment. AEC-Q100-qualified versions are also available for automotive applications.

Traditional approaches to temperature sensing that use thermistors or embedded MCU temperature sensors are claimed to be less accurate than the Si705x sensors, while consuming more power. End-of-line calibration can improve accuracy, however, this is costly and accuracy can still be affected by variations in power supply voltage. Silicon Labs’ patented signal processing technology enables stable temperature accuracy in the Si705x sensors across the full operating temperature and voltage ranges, and without the need for costly end-of-line production calibration. According to the company, the sensors’ low-power analogue design allows for up to 35 times better power efficiency than that provided by competing temperature sensors.

The devices, which are offered in a 3x3mm DFN package, feature an industry-standard I²C interface for easy configuration. For high-precision measurement, the Si705x sensors provides up to 14-bit temperature resolution. Operating across a temperature range of -40 to +125°C, the sensors are suitable for consumer, industrial and automotive applications. Featuring a low 1.9V minimum power supply voltage, the Si705x sensors can be connected directly to a battery without the need for an external voltage regulator.

The devices are pin- and software-compatible with Silicon Labs’ Si70xx RH and temperature sensor family, enabling existing RH sensor designs and software to be reused easily for temperature-only applications.

The Si705x temperature sensors are available now, priced from $0.61 each and sold in 10,000-unit quantities. To enable rapid development, Silicon Labs offers the Si705x USB dongle evaluation kit.

“Temperature is the most pervasive environmental metric that embedded developers need to measure, and today’s designers expect exceptional power efficiency, accuracy and price/performance from their temperature sensing solutions,” commented Ross Sabolcik, Vice President and General Manager, Analog, Power and Sensor products, Silicon Labs. “Although many competing options are available for temperature sensing, the Si705x devices provide the most power-efficient option while maintaining accuracy across the entire operating voltage and temperature range so developers do not need to compromise on performance.”