At the CES, Bosch Sensortec unveiled the BMP380 barometric pressure sensor, the smallest and most accurate pressure sensor in their portfolio to date, with dimensions of 2x2x0.75 mm. The BMP380 is targeted at applications in drones, smartphones, tablets, wearables and other mobile devices for precise measurement of elevation changes.

The new BMP380 is more accurate than its predecessors and has a wide measuring range from 300 to 1250 hPa. Empirical tests have shown that the relative accuracy is ±0.06 hPa over a temperature range of 25 to 40°C. The absolute accuracy between 300 and 1100 hPa is ±0.5 hPa in the temperature range of 0 to 65°C. Pressure and temperature readings can be saved in an integrated 512-byte FIFO memory. The new FIFO and interrupt functions provide easy access to data and stored information. That improves ease of use, and current consumption is limited to just 2.0 µA at 1 Hz in full use.

Bosch employs the Advanced Porous Silicon Membrane (APSM) process developed in-house for the production of their MEMS pressure sensors. The new barometric pressure sensor combines an attractive price to performance ratio with low current consumption and small size – more than a third smaller than the previous generation BMP280. The sensor will be available in the third quarter of 2017.