Single-Chip IR MEMS Temperature Sensor

Texas Instruments Incorporated is enabling contactless temperature measurement for the first time in portable consumer electronics with the industry’s first single-chip passive infrared (IR) MEMS temperature sensor. The TMP006 digital temperature sensor provides manufacturers of mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets and notebooks, with the ability to accurately measure device case temperature using IR technology. This advancement over the current approach of approximating case temperature based on system temperature will enable system designers to optimize performance while providing a more comfortable user experience. The TMP006 can also be used to measure temperature outside the device, enabling new features and user applications.

“The TMP006 solves our customers’ need for advanced thermal management of processors, and allows for optimizing system performance and safety even as processing power increases and form factors continue to shrink,” said Steve Anderson, senior vice president of TI’s High Performance Analog business. “And with the TMP006, for the first time mobile device manufacturers will be able to measure the temperature of objects outside the phone, which will unleash an entirely new functionality for apps developers to creatively tap into.”
 
The TMP006 is the most highly-integrated device of its kind. It integrates an on-chip MEMS thermopile sensor, signal conditioning, a 16-bit analog-to-digital-converter (ADC), local temperature sensor and voltage references on a single 1.6-mm x 1.6-mm chip. It provides a complete digital solution for contactless temperature measurement that is 95 percent smaller than any other thermopile sensor.

Key features and benefits:

• Integrates MEMS sensor with supporting analog circuitry, reducing solution size 95 percent compared to the competition.
• Uses only 240 uA quiescent current and 1 uA in shutdown mode – 90 percent less power than competitive solutions.
• Supports a wide temperature range of -40 degrees to +125 degrees Celsius (C) with an accuracy of +/- 0.5 degree C (typical) on the local sensor and accuracy of +/- 1 degrees C (typical) for the passive IR sensor.   
• Includes I2C/SMBus digital interface.