Product category:
Reference Designs
News Release from: Silicon Laboratories | Subject: F350-Compass-RD
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 01 March 2005
Design drives sensor signals straight to
the MCU
A new reference design showcases how microcontrollers with Direct Sensor Interface Technology allow designers to create truly intelligent sensor systems.
Direct Sensor Interface Technology (DSiT) enables designers to create truly intelligent sensor systems by interfacing unconditioned, uncompensated, raw output signals from sensors and transducers directly to Silicon Laboratories' C8051F350 family of single-chip precision mixed-signal microcontrollers (MCUs) To showcase its technology, Silicon Laboratories created a complete electronic compass reference design based on the C8051F350 to enable customers to easily evaluate DSiT functionality in a live application
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 12 Feb 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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The C8051F350 is precision mixed-signal microcontroller that integrates an eight-channel, 24bit ADC with a high-speed 8051-compatible CPU.
Using the DSiT capability, Silicon Laboratories' digital compass reference design is a multi-axis, tilt-compensated, electronic compass that demonstrates how small signals from magnetic sensors are interfaced directly to the C8051F350 with no additional instrumentation circuitry.
Silicon Laboratories' technology provides a single-chip data acquisition and control solution where precision measurement, high-speed data processing and space efficiency are required, making it ideal for sensors, sensing systems, industrial process control, scientific instrumentation, test and measurement, medical devices, building automation, HVAC, intelligent transmitters and weigh scales.
"Silicon Laboratories' DSiT capabilities showcase our mixed-signal expertise".
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"By directly interfacing a mixed-signal MCU to a sensor in a precision application, we simplify our customer's design process", said Derrell Coker, Vice President of Silicon Laboratories.
"Our new digital compass reference design is an easy way for customers to quickly evaluate this powerful technology".
Silicon Laboratories' DSiT capability integrates all of the elements necessary in an instrumentation system including a multiplexer, an offset digital-to-analogue convertor (DAC), a programmable gain amplifier, a comparator, a 24bit sigma-delta analogue-to-digital convertor (ADC), an onboard voltage reference, a programmable digital filter and current-controlled DACs.
Each of these features serves a specific function to accommodate both the sensor interface and the end-user application creating a balanced combination of features and integration.
The F350-Compass-RD includes a complete compass, a user's guide, schematics, USB cable and PC-based GUI software.
Pricing for the F350-Compass-RD is $79.95.
Pricing for the C8051F350 product family starts at $3.28 in quantities of 10,000.
Silicon Laboratories' products are available in lead-free, environmentally friendly packages.
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