ST Introduces Eval Board for Advanced MEMS Sensor Development
The demand for precise, compact, and versatile sensors is only heightening across various industries. STMicroelectronics has released the STEVAL-MKI109D evaluation board to meet this challenge head-on, opening up new possibilities for developers in fields ranging from automotive driver assistance to navigation support.
The STEVAL-MKI109 was designed to monitor ST's MEMS sensors and maximize their performance.
A Tiny Eval Board for a Swell of Sensor Data
The STEVAL-MKI109D evaluation board (data brief linked) is designed specifically for context-aware applications with MEMS sensors, enabling the board to react appropriately under various conditions. The board is powered by the high-performance STM32H5 microcontroller, featuring an Arm Cortex-M33 core, allowing it to quickly evaluate barometric pressure, accelerometer data, and optical or electronic image stabilization.
Circuit schematic of the STEVAL-MKI109D.
Now equipped with a USB-C connector, the MKI109D was designed as a plug-and-play sensor module that can be connected to a PC and immediately start analyzing data in the ST MEMS Studio. The MEMS-Studio is a graphical user interface from which firmware can be downloaded to the board. Developers can then visualize sensor output, quickly tune settings or features, and manage the overall data flow.
The board provides flexible power management features that allow users to adjust the sensor supply voltage from 0 V to 3.6 V, ensuring accurate testing and evaluation while allowing the user to replicate a variety of operating conditions in almost any application.
Sensor Variety and Interface Support
ST’s MEMS portfolio features a variety of sensors, including inertial, pressure, biosensors, and microphones, suitable for industrial, consumer, and automotive applications. These sensors can be used for products like smartphones, wearables, and smart home devices, as well as automotive technologies for navigation and driver assistance. Each sensor comes with an evaluation module mounted on a DIL24 card with headers that easily connect to the STEVAL-MKI109D board. A remote kit is also available that allows the sensor to be placed away from the main board.
A variety of different adapter options are available for the STEVAL-MKI109D, such as remote or vAFE kits.
The STEVAL-MKI109D supports several interfaces, including I2C, I3C, SPI, and TDM communication, making the board compatible with a wide range of MEM devices. This interface support also enables high-speed data transfer up to 10 Mbps or greater. As developers demand more from their tools, the ability to rapidly switch between interfaces while maintaining high data rates is essential for moving projects from concept to completion efficiently.
