STMicroelectronics and Omron have worked together on the development of an electronic gas flow sensor for use in smart meters.
Omron’s transducer is combined with a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) micro-thermal sensor and an analogue front-end chip from ST in a stand-alone subsystem.
The flow sensor is compensated for both temperature and pressure variations, while a built-in circuit compensates for the variation of multiple gas composition.
Mounted on a small PCB (Printed-Circuit-Board) measuring 7.2x8.6 cm, the gas-flow sensor also has built-in motor drivers for valve control, and protection against temperature and vibration effects.
The board has an STM8L152 microcontroller with 32kbyte of flash memory and an LCD display driver, the STLM20 temperature sensor, the LIS332AR accelerometer and the M41T82 real-time clock, as well as power-management and motor-control devices.
“As demand for smarter gas metering starts to take off, this collaboration with Omron puts us ahead of the field and will enable us to repeat the enormous success we have achieved in smart electricity meters,” said Benedetto Vigna, general manager of the MEMS, sensors and analogue division of STMicroelectronics.
The two companies started collaborating in November 2009.
Further information will be available from both companies at ST’s stand (Hall A5, Booth 207) at Electronica, November 9-12, 2010, in Munich.