Cost-effective motion sensor delivers high accuracy and power efficiency

Bosch Sensortec is launching the BMI323, an affordable IMU with outstanding performance and integrated features allowing a shorter development time.

"The BMI323's combination of simplicity with an excellent price-performance ratio will open up new applications for IMUs," said Dr Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO at Bosch Sensortec. "These will include standard consumer products, such as toys, gaming controllers, remote controls, wearables, fitness trackers, smartwatches, as well as tablets and laptops."

Like its predecessor, BMI160, the new device is a general-purpose, low-power IMU that combines precise acceleration and angular rate (gyroscopic) measurement with intelligent integrated elements triggered by motion.

Its integrated features make development quicker and easier for OEMs. For example, the BMI323 already includes the company's plug-and-play step counter software, so customers do not need to spend time creating their own algorithms. Other features comprise motion detection that can turn subsystems on or off when a device, such as a TV remote control, is put down or picked up, lowering overall power consumption.

The six-axis device has a self-calibrating 16-bit triaxial gyroscope, a 16-bit triaxial accelerometer, and a 16-bit digital temperature sensor housed in a miniature 2.5mm x 3mm x 0.83mm3 (14-pin) LGA package that is pin to pin compatible with the BMI160 and others. It is the first IMU device announced by the company to incorporate the new I3C interface as well as the I2C and SPI interfaces.