MEMS-Based "Sonar on a Silicon Chip" Time-of-Flight Sensor

TDK Corporation announces the immediate availability to select OEMs of the Chirp CH-201 MEMS-based ultrasonic Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor with extended sensing range. This ToF sensor utilizes a tiny ultrasonic transducer chip that sends a pulse of ultrasound and then listens for echoes returning from targets in the sensor’s field-of-view. By calculating the distance based on time of flight, the sensor can determine the location of an object relative to a device and trigger a programmed behavior.

TDK’s MEMS ultrasonic technology leverages a proprietary ToF sensor in a 3.5 mm x 3.5 mm package that combines a MEMS ultrasonic transducer with a power-efficient digital signal processor (DSP) on a custom low-power, mixed-signal CMOS ASIC. The sensor handles a variety of ultrasonic signal-processing functions, enabling customers’ flexible industrial design options for a broad range of use-case scenarios including range-finding, presence/proximity sensing, object detection/avoidance and 3D position-tracking.

Following last year’s introduction of CH-101, the first commercially available MEMS-based ultrasonic ToF sensor for consumer electronics, AR/VR, robotics, drones, IoT, automotive and industrial market segments, TDK is expanding the SmartSonic MEMS ultrasonic platform. This will include the CH-201 ultrasonic ToF sensor and associated software solution for room-scale sensing applications, enabling ultralow power, always-on sensing for human presence detection without privacy concerns, among many other use cases.

TDK’s MEMS ultrasonic ToF sensor platform offers numerous advantages over optical ToF sensors:

• Ultralow power operations for always-on sensing in battery powered devices
• Accurate range measurement regardless of target size or color; even optically transparent targets are accurately detected
• Immunity to ambient noise without perception by house pets
• Ability to operate in all lighting conditions, unlike IR sensors which do not work in direct sunlight
• Ensures eye safety, contrasting with laser-based IR ToF sensors
• Detects objects over a customizable field-of-view up to 180°, enabling a single sensor to support room-scale sensing

The Chirp SmartSonic platform (CH-101, CH_101 module, and CH-101 developers kit) is available worldwide through distribution today. CH-201 is entering into mass production and is currently shipping to select customers.

Glossary

• 6-DoF: 6 Degrees of Freedom
• 3D: 3 dimensional
• AR/VR: Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality
• Ultrasonic: Utilizing, produced by, or relating to ultrasonic waves or vibrations.

Main applications

• Smart home and connected IoT devices
• PC and displays
• Robotics and drone
• AR/VR
• Mobile and wearable
• Automotive and industrial

Main features and benefits:

• Ultralow power
• Accurate range measurement regardless of target size
• Detects objects of any color, including optically transparent ones
• Immunity to ambient noise
• Works under any lighting condition
• Expanded field of view (FoV)

For more information, please visit: www.chirpmicro.com and www.tdk.com.