Single-Chip Si1132/4x Optical Sensors Track UV Exposure,
Ambient Light and Biometrics for Smartphones and Wearable Computing
Products
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Silicon
Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB), a leader in high-performance, analog-intensive,
mixed-signal ICs, today introduced the industry's first single-chip
digital ultraviolet (UV) index sensor ICs designed to track UV sun
exposure, heart/pulse rate and blood oximetry and provide
proximity/gesture control for smartphone and wearable computing
products. The latest additions to Silicon Labs' optical sensor family,
the Si1132 and Si114x sensor ICs are ideal for activity-tracking wrist
and arm bands, smart watches and smartphone handsets. In addition to
enabling UV index sensing, the devices also provide ambient light and
infrared (IR) proximity sensing capabilities for health and fitness
applications.
Industry's first single-chip digital UV index sensor solution for wearable computing products (Photo: Business Wire)
The demand for UV sensing in consumer electronics is rising as
developers seek to differentiate wearable and handset products with new
features that help protect people from harmful UV light exposure. UV
tracking is helpful for those with elevated risks of sunburn or concerns
about excessive sun exposure. UV sensor-equipped products can measure
cumulative UV exposure and alert end users before they have reached
unhealthy exposure levels while exercising outdoors. Standardized by the
World Health Organization (WHO), the digital UV index is linearly
related to the intensity of sunlight and is weighted according to the
Erythemal Action Spectrum developed by the International Commission on
Illumination (CIE). This weighting provides a standardized measure of
our skin's response to different sunlight wavelengths including UVB and
UVA.
Conventional UV sensors combine UV-sensitive photodiodes with an
external microcontroller (MCU), analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and
signal processing firmware. Silicon Labs is the first to combine all of
this functionality into a single-chip solution offered in an
exceptionally small 2 mm x 2 mm package that helps reduce the design's
footprint and bill of material (BOM) cost. The UV sensor family includes
the following devices:
-
Si1132 UV index and ambient light sensor with an industry-standard I2C
interface to read digital UV index values
-
Si1145/46/47 UV and IR proximity/ambient light sensors offering a
choice of one, two or three integrated LED drivers with 15 selectable
drive levels for gesture detection.
When combined with an accelerometer, the Si1132 and Si114x sensors
enable developers to implement sleep tracking in wearable applications.
In addition, the sensors' ability to measure both infrared and visible
light levels enhances the control of LCD backlighting in mixed light
source environments. The result is an inexpensive yet effective means of
adjusting backlighting to ease eyestrain and reduce power without
distracting the end user.
The Si114x sensors' LED drivers enable implementation of reflective
heart rate and blood oximetry measurement capabilities for health and
fitness trackers, as well as touchless interfaces that support end-user
control from a distance. Offering two and three infrared LED drivers
respectively, the Si1146 and Si1147 sensors enable advanced motion and
gesture sensing. The Si1146 enables motion sensing and touchless control
in the z- and x-axis, and the Si1147 adds a third axis to enable
3-dimensional motion sensing. Both sensors provide reflectance
measurements that can be post-processed to determine gestures.
The Si1132 and Si114x sensors offer excellent performance under a wide
dynamic range of light sources including direct sunlight. The robust
sensing architecture also includes an ambient light sensor capable of
sensing light levels up to 128 kLux. The photodiode response and
associated digital conversion circuitry provide excellent immunity to
artificial light flicker noise and natural light flutter noise.
The UV index sensors' ultra-low-power architecture enables thinner
wearable designs with smaller batteries and extends battery life with as
little as 1.2 µA average current for once-per-second UV measurements.
The sensors also offer greater sensitivity and sensing range at
significantly lower power levels than competitive offerings. The high IR
sensor sensitivity provides significantly longer battery life in motion
sensing/gesture applications through the use of a single 25.6 µs IR-LED
on-time while enabling up to 50 cm sensing range. Dynamic adjustment of
LED currents further minimizes power consumption.
"Wearable designs require highly integrated, small-footprint and
low-power sensing solutions, and we're meeting this need with the
industry's first single-chip digital UV index sensors that also provide
ambient light and IR sensing capabilities for innovative health and
fitness applications," said Mark Thompson, vice president and general
manager of Silicon Labs' Access, Power and Sensor products. "Silicon
Labs is the only UV index sensor vendor that offers a broad portfolio of
energy-friendly MCUs, wireless MCUs and transceivers, and an array of
other sensors that can be combined into system solutions for the
fast-growing wearables market."
Silicon Labs provides wearable developers with comprehensive hardware
and software tools to simplify testing, characterization, prototyping
and software development. The UVIrSlider2EK UV/IR evaluation kit
provides an advanced development platform for Silicon Labs' optical
sensors. Controlled by an ultra-low-power C8051F800 MCU, the
UVIrSlider2EK connects the Si1146 sensor to two IR-LEDs, enabling UV
index measurements, advanced 2D/2-axis touchless gesture detection and
object proximity detection. The IrSlider2EK is pre-configured with
firmware that displays the five-level consumer UV strength index on five
LEDs. Demo software provides a GUI with the full UV index and an IR
slider demo that demonstrates left/right/pause gesture detection using
eight visible LEDs. In addition, Silicon Labs provides example software
source code for ambient light, proximity and gesture detection
algorithms.
Pricing and Availability
Samples and production quantities of Silicon Labs' Si1132 and Si114x UV
sensors are available now in a 10-pin 2 mm x 2 mm QFN package. The
Si1132 sensor is priced at $1.10 in 10,000-unit quantities, and 10K
pricing for the Si114x sensors begins at $1.32 (all prices USD). The
UVIrSlider2EK evaluation kit is priced at $50 (USD MSRP).
For additional Si1132 and Si114x UV index sensor information and to
order samples and development tools, please visit www.silabs.com/opticalsensors.
Silicon Labs
Silicon Labs is an industry leader in the innovation of
high-performance, analog-intensive, mixed-signal ICs. Developed by a
world-class engineering team with unsurpassed expertise in mixed-signal
design, Silicon Labs' diverse portfolio of patented semiconductor
solutions offers customers significant advantages in performance, size
and power consumption. For more information about Silicon Labs, please
visit www.silabs.com.
Cautionary Language
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on
Silicon Labs' current expectations. These forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could
cause actual results to differ materially from those in the
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impact Silicon Labs' financial results and cause actual results to
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refer to Silicon Labs' filings with the SEC. Silicon Labs disclaims any
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
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Silicon Labs
Dale Weisman, +1-512-532-5871
dale.weisman@silabs.com
Source: Silicon Labs
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