TDK Corporation Announced SmartSonic™ Platform Family of MEMS-based Ultrasonic Time-of-flight Sensor Solutions

PublishTime： 2023-06-24 Article Source：TDK InvenSense News

SmartSonic platform currently includes the award-winning Chirp CH-101 ultrasonic Time-of-Flight sensor (ToF sensor) and sensor module, the SmartSonic evaluation kit, and the associated SonicLink™ software
SmartSonic evaluation kit and sensor modules are currently available worldwide through Avnet, Components Distribution, Inc., DigiKey, Mouser Electronics, and Symmetry.

TDK Corporation today announced the immediate availability of the Chirp SmartSonic™ platform family of ultrasonic sensor time-of-flight (ToF) solutions. The SmartSonic platform is currently available with the award-winning Chirp CH-101, an ultra-low power ultrasonic ToF range sensor that provides millimeter-accurate range measurements up to 1.2m, independent of target color and transparency.

The CH-101 ultrasonic ToF sensor module (MOD-CH101) contains a CH-101 sensor on a small printed circuit board (PCB) with a flat flexible connector (FFC), and acoustic housing on top that enables an omnidirectional beam pattern of the output. It is designed to allow rapid integration into customer product enclosures, prototyping, and small-scale production for a wide range of applications, including AR/VR, smart home technology, drones and robotics, connected IoT devices, mobile and wearable technology, and automotive. The CH-101 sensor module connects directly to the SmartSonic developer evaluation kit (DK-CH101) for initial product evaluation using the SonicLink™ software, which can also be used by customers to develop embedded algorithms for specific applications.

Available now through distribution partners, all the supporting software and documentation are available within the Developers Corner section of the TDK website, which includes:

SmartSonic evaluation kit software, SonicLink, & documentation
SonicLink quick start guide
SmartSonic evaluation kit user’s guide
Application notes such as mechanical integration & handling/assembly guides
Driver/API documentation

“Our MEMS-based ultrasonic sensing technology offers multiple advantages over more traditional infrared proximity and ToF sensors. These include lower power consumption by several orders of magnitude, range measurement accuracy that is not affected by ambient light conditions such as direct sunlight, the ability to sense any color object as well as windows and glass doors, a wide and customizable field of view (FoV), and 100 times lower range noise,” said Michelle Kiang, CEO, Chirp Microsystems, a TDK Group Company. “The SmartSonic ultrasonic sensing platform is easy to use and enables fast prototyping and flexible custom design options for a broad range of use-case scenarios, such as range-finding, presence/proximity sensing, obstacle-detection/avoidance, and object position-tracking.”

The Chirp SmartSonic ultrasonic ToF sensing platform is intended for consumer electronics, AR/VR, robotics/drones, smart home/IoT, mobile/wearable, and industrial market segments. The SmartSonic evaluation kit and sensor modules are in mass production and available through distribution throughout North America.

Main applications

AR/VR
Smart home
Drone and robotics
Connected IoT devices
Mobile and wearable
Automotive

Key features and benefits of the Chirp CH-101:

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

Key data

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