The All-round Smart Proximity Sensor Chip
Starrycom Sensing Technologies, a US technology startup, has announced the release of its SPX-1 smart proximity sensor IC product. The IC is now available for sampling.
For decades, proximity sensor design engineers have done everything possible to achieve higher sensing distance, reduction factor one, magnetic field immunity, selective sensing, etc. etc. over even wider temperature range, through many very different technology platforms.
Now a single smart proximity sensor chip can do it all, the SPX-1, the industry’s first and currently only all-round smart proximity sensor chip.
SPX-1 is a mixed signal VLSI system on chip based on Starrycom’s patented technology platform. Its dual tank oscillator analog front end design guarantees differential detection, higher sensitivity, temperature tracking, and better noise immunity. The embedded microcontroller and nonvolatile memory bring the proximity sensor intelligence and flexibility for configuration and programming. Proximity sensors built with SPX-1 smart chip can achieve unparalleled temperature stability through the IC’s unique autonomous machine learning algorithm. SPX-1 IC consumes less than 2mA current and can be configured for both three wire and two wire proximity sensors and in both cases the sensors are plug programmable- meaning no additional wires or pins are needed for programming and calibration and programming/calibration can be done after sensor is fully assembled and encapsulated.
To facilitate design and development of SPX-1 based proximity sensor products, Starrycom engineers have developed a whole line of supporting devices, software tools and systems for sensor’s programming, calibration and automatic testing. This makes SPX-1 IC users’ job much easier, from proximity sensor design all the way to manufacturing process.
SPX-1 can also be used for high-end capacitive proximity sensor design. The IC’s dual tank oscillator design can greatly improve capacitive proximity sensor’s noise immunity, one of the major problems in capacitive proximity sensor development. The IC’s buffered sensing tank signal output provides an ideal guide for sensor’s shielding design.
SPX-1 IC samples in QFN24 package are now available to customers. We also offer evaluation boards and programming/calibration modules with an intuitive, easy-to-use graphic user interface (GUI) running on a PC. Mass production will launch at the end of the third quarter of 2022.
