MMA8104KEG

Accelerometers are increasingly being integrated into Personal Electronics designs. The MMA8104KEG from NXP Semiconductors is an example of one of the latest offerings. Its small size (3 x 3 x 1 mm) and low power consumption make it a perfect fit for applications that require protection from shocks and vibration. Additionally, the embedded signal conditioning makes it easy to integrate into the rest of the system design.

The MMA8104KEG is an analog device capable of sensing acceleration in up to 3 axes. It contains a MEMS accelerometer with a MEMS structure for measuring acceleration in three axis according to the orientation of the package. The full-scale range of the device is set to ± 4g and it works from a single 3V supply. The RF sensitivity has a programmable range of ±2g, ±4g, ±8g.

For a better control of the output, this device contains user-selectable low-pass filters as well as high-pass filters to reduce noise in both high and low frequencies. This settings can be configured digitally by the user over SPI master interface. The low power consumption of the device makes it suitable for handheld or battery power applications. This is a plus compared to other analog accelerometers on the market.

The application areas where the MMA8104KEG can be used include health and fitness applications, monitoring and detection systems, automotive applications, and robotics. In health and fitness applications, it can be used for monitoring the level of physical activity of a person. In automotive applications, it can be used for controlling steering systems, brakes, and airbags. In robots, it can be used for measuring the linear and angular acceleration of the robot in order to detect obstacles or measure the distance it has traveled. It is also suitable for measuring vibration in industrial when connected to a vibration sensor.

The working principle of the MMA8104KEG is based on a MEMS sensors consisting of two plates and a proof mass separated by a gap. When an acceleration is applied in any direction, the proof mass accelerates and its displacement is measured by the corresponding sensor. The chip then integrates the acceleration signals from the three MEMS accelerometer elements and passes it through the signal conditioning circuit. In the end, the device outputs the conditioned analog signal taken from the output pins of the chip.

In summary, the MMA8104KEG device from NXP semiconductor is a low power, full scale capacitive MEMS accelerometer. It is suitable for use in a variety of applications such as health and fitness monitoring, automotive systems, robotics and industrial vibration monitoring. Additionally, it features user selectable low-pass and high-pass filters for better noise sensing.