At Sensors Expo 2018, Caleb Kim from ROHM Semiconductor explains a visually intriguing display in his booth. A ROHM pressure sensor was used to build a game. Whenever the ball portion of the game is struck, the pressure sensor attached to the ball measures the difference in pressure. The harder the ball is hit, the higher the difference in pressure is and the higher it drives the lights on the display. The lights are driven by an Arduino programmed to activate them according to the pressure input. The pressure sensor can detect either the absolute or the relative pressure difference to cause the different height of the lights. If the pressure is sufficiently high, the light at the top of the display lights and the column flashes green indicating a win.
ROHM pressure sensors deliver high accuracy pressure information by performing temperature correction based on proprietary algorithms via an internal IC. For example, the BM1383 AGLV is piezoresistive microelectromechanical (MEMS) pressure sensor. It has a pressure range of 300 to 1100 hPa (4.35 to 15.95 psi), a relative pressure accuracy of ±0.12 hPa (0.002 psi) (Typ) and absolute pressure accuracy of ±1 hPa (±0.015 psi) (Typ).
The sensor has an operating temperature range of -40°C to +85°C and comes in a 2.50 mm x 2.50 mm x 1.00 mm package. In the power down mode, it has an average current consumption 3 μA.
In addition to measuring the pressure in a ball, the sensors can detect differences in height or altitude through pressure changes in wearable devices, activity monitors and advanced detection for indoor navigation in smartphones and tablets.
Filed Under: Sensors (pressure), Sensor Tips
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