Robust barometric pressure sensor for wearables and industrial applications

Bosch Sensortec has developed the BMP384, a robust barometric pressure sensor giving market-leading accuracy in a compact package.

The high performance and low power consumption of the device make it excellent for wearables, home appliances and industrial applications in harsh environments. The new sensor's innovative package design uses a special gel to shield it against the ingress of mainly water, but also to other liquids and dust together with the necessary integration concept. It is now straightforward for OEMs to include a barometric sensor into products demanding high robustness.

"Bosch has applied its many years of experience in creating reliable sensors for harsh environments into the design of the BMP384," says Dr Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO at Bosch Sensortec. "Until now, engineers have faced significant challenges when designing barometric pressure sensors into applications involving water or other contaminants, frequently seeing performance degradation over the final product's lifetime. This new sensor makes design simpler and provides peace of mind."

The new barometric pressure sensor is ideal for wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers in activities including swimming and running. The special gel inside the package gives protection against common liquids such as saltwater, rain, sweat and sunscreen. Its compact size of only 2mm x 2mm x 1mm3 facilitates seamless integration even into very small devices.