Analog Devices ultra-low power accelerometers enable remote iot node monitoring of asset health

     Analog Devices announced the launch of the next generation of accelerometers designed for long-term monitoring of the physical condition of high-value assets. The ADXL372 Micro-Power large-range MEMS accelerometer has extremely low power consumption and is targeted for Internet of Things (IoT) solution applications, avoiding situations where the function, safety or reliability of the device is adversely affected by vibration and collision during storage, transportation or use. Representative assets include materials in transport and storage containers, factory machinery, and battery-powered products, whose long-term resting processes can be interrupted by an accidentally severe collision.

     Unlike other sensors in its class, this ultra-low-power MEMS sensor is equipped with an "instant on" function that wakes up immediately to obtain the full waveform, greatly reducing standby power consumption. A low current of less than 2 microamps is needed to wait for a collision, so this sensor is used in motion activation systems that can operate for years with only a small battery.

     Integrating the ADXL372 MEMS accelerometer into a remote node device in an iot application allows transient events to be captured by a pre-prepared local processor, classified, and sent via a wireless link to the cloud or other data centers. Keeping the analysis locally saves power, time, and prevents unnecessary transmission of event data that is not actually important. With a broadband width of 3200 Hz and a dynamic range of ±200g, the product is ideal for a variety of asset health monitoring applications, including monitoring the awareness of athletes and military personnel during head injury.

     With a temperature range of -40C to 105 ⁰C, the ADXL372 joins the industry's leading ultra-low-power, low-G ADXL362 MEMS accelerometers as part of ADI's broad portfolio of ultra-low-power sensors. Both the ADXL372 and ADXL362 accelerometers work seamlessly with the ultra-low-power ADuCM4050 microcontroller, which has just been added to the iot optimized microcontroller family. Other leading microcontrollers include the ADuCM3027 and ADuCM3029, all of which support active and sleep modes that require ultra-low power consumption for applications where power consumption, safety and durability are critical.