Bosch's new air pressure sensor BMP581 helps mobile devices reach new heights in accuracy and performance

     Bosch Sensortec has launched its next generation air pressure sensor BMP581, which provides ultra-high precision height tracking function with low power consumption for wearable and ear wearables or iot devices. Its advantages enable unprecedented innovation in applications, ideal for fitness tracking, fall detection, indoor location and navigation, and more.

     "The new BMP581 continues the exceptional performance and ultra-low power consumption of previous generations of Bosch sensors and achieves a new breakthrough in precision -- it can accurately measure air pressure fluctuations as low as 7.6 μg, equivalent to one thousandth of the weight of a mosquito." Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO of Bosch Sensortec.

     Thanks to improved measurement accuracy, the sensor is sensitive to centimeter-level changes in height, enabling accurate monitoring of movement in fitness applications, even identifying individual pull-ups or push-ups, and providing high-precision location information for indoor positioning and navigation. And its floor detection feature provides critical data for U.S. emergency call requirements (E-911).

     The sensor could significantly improve the flight stability and landing accuracy of the UAV. It could also be used to detect water levels in household appliances to avoid water spills.

     The relative accuracy of BMP581 is as high as +/-0.06 hPa, and the typical absolute accuracy is +/-0.3 hPa. The sensor provides optimal accuracy over a wide range of measurements from 300 hPa to 1100 hPa. The typical temperature coefficient offset (TCO) of BMP581 is only +/-0.5 Pa/K, and the RMS noise is as low as 0.08 Pa@1000 hPa (typical value). The long-term drift over 12 months was only ±0.1 hPa.

     Compared with the previous generation of Bosch air pressure sensor BMP390, the BMP581 requires 85% less power, 80% less noise and 33% less TCO. At 1Hz, the typical current consumption of the sensor is only 1.3μA, which can significantly prolong the battery life. In deep standby mode, the current consumption is as low as 0.5μA. The sensor provides I2C, I3C and SPI (3-wire / 4-wire) digital serial interfaces. The BMP581 comes in a compact 10-pin LGA package shielded by a metal cover plate and measures only 2.0 x 2.0 x 0.75 mm3.