TI unveils single-chip IR MEMS temperature sensor

Texas Instruments Inc is enabling contactless temperature measurement for the first time in portable consumer electronics with the industry's first single-chip passive infrared (IR) MEMS temperature sensor. The TMP006 digital temperature sensor provides manufacturers of mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets and notebooks, with the ability to accurately measure device case temperature using IR technology, said a press release. It can also be used to measure temperature outside the device, enabling new features and user applications.

"The TMP006 solves our customers' need for advanced thermal management of processors, and allows for optimizing system performance and safety even as processing power increases and form factors continue to shrink," said Steve Anderson, senior vice president of TI's High Performance Analog business. He added that with the TMP006, for the first time mobile device manufacturers will be able to measure the temperature of objects outside the phone, which will unleash an entirely new functionality for apps developers to creatively tap into.

The TMP006 is the most highly-integrated device of its kind. It integrates an on-chip MEMS thermopile sensor, signal conditioning, a 16-bit analog-to-digital-converter (ADC), local temperature sensor and voltage references on a single 1.6-mm x 1.6-mm chip. It provides a complete digital solution for contactless temperature measurement that is 95 per cent smaller than any other thermopile sensor, the release added.