Low Energy Sensor Interface

Energy Micro has added a generic lowenergy sensor interface to its EFM32 microcontroller product family. TheLesense function block enables autonomous monitoring of up to 16 externalsensors in the microcontroller's sub-microamp Deep Sleep mode.

Able to run independently of the EFM32's ARM Cortex(TM)-M3 core, Lesense can beused to create highly integrated, ultra low power, sensor solutions.Particularly suitable for battery operated systems, the sensor interface isdesigned to operate with virtually any type of analog sensor control scheme,including capacitive, inductive and resistive types.

Among a variety of uses, Lesense can be configured to support autonomouscapacitive touch pad- and slider based products, and gas and water meteringproducts relying on inductive rotation sensors.

The Lesense function block will first be made available in EnergyMicro's TinyGecko microcontroller family, sampling and in volume during Q1'2011. Pin andsoftware compatible with the bigger Gecko microcontrollers, the Tiny Geckoprovides users with a wide range of low power peripheral function blocks,including an 8-channel, 12-bit ADC using 350AmuA at full resolution and1Msamples/sec conversion rate, and a low energy UART consuming as little as150nA, and a new 8x20 segment LCD controller.