The new Si117x biometric sensor provides high-precision heart rate monitoring (HRM) while minimizing power consumption to support around-the-clock monitoring

Silicon Labs (also known as "core science and technology") has introduced a series of optical biometric sensors to provide advanced heart rate monitoring (HRM) and electrocardiogram (ECG) functions for a variety of wearable fitness and health products. The new Si117x sensor module offers ultra-low power consumption, high sensitivity and excellent integration, making it ideal for smartwatches, wrists, patch devices or other wearable devices that require long battery life and higher heart rate accuracy. To simplify development and reduce time-to-market, Silicon Labs offers a complete sensing solution that integrates the Si117x sensor module, heart rate algorithm, Wireless Gecko SoC with Bluetooth® connectivity, and an easy-to-use wrist with sample code, sample projects Development Kit. Silicon Labs will be simultaneously exhibiting Si117x sensor modules and complete solutions at the 6th Shenzhen Embedded Expo hosted December 21-23. Welcome to booth 1A08 of Hall 1 of Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center.

Around-the-clock heart rate monitoring is a key requirement for health and fitness wearable devices. By tracking the heart rate throughout the day, end users and healthcare providers can analyze their physiologic data to detect health conditions and consider lifestyle adjustments before health problems are discovered. To meet the market demand for power, the Si117x sensor consumes less than 50μA (sensor and LED total) when performing continuous heart rate measurements. Built-in buffer and accelerometer synchronization saves more system-level power. With sensor-based industry-leading power control technology, developers can use smaller batteries in wearable designs without significantly affecting the battery life of the device during continuous monitoring.

Si117x sensors provide enhanced heart rate measurement accuracy for a better end-user experience. These sensors provide fast sampling, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR> 100dB) and the ability to eliminate environmental noise and false data filtering despite high quality signals despite different physiology, skin tones and tattoos, Easier to track heart rate. A more accurate ECG waveform view allows biometrics to go beyond traditional heart rate monitoring, including heart rate variability (HRV), stress analysis, and pulse volume.

By combining ECG measurements with optical heart rate measurements, the Si117x sensors allow developers to open up new potential biometric technologies for wearable devices. The ECG waveform is the gold standard for heart condition measurements, and the Si117x sensor brings this functionality to the wrist wearable in a cost-effective manner. By simultaneously measuring on the same device, the Si117x sensor allows developers to combine biometrics with optical photoplethysmography (PPG) measurements for more valuable physiological parameters.

The Si117x module's high level of integration simplifies the wearable design, making it easier to measure multiple sensors simultaneously without adding significant system cost or board area. Each module supports up to 4 different LEDs (all can be driven simultaneously) and its 4 LED drivers can be programmed independently (from 1.7mA to 310mA). Other built-in features include photodetectors, 24-bit ADCs with> 100dB dynamic range, I2C and SPI digital interfaces, programmable event interrupt engine, synchronization engine, host communications processor, and two external photodiode inputs.

Tom Pannell, senior marketing director for IoT products at Silicon Labs, said: "As the health and fitness wearables market continues to grow, developers need a complete biometric sensor solution that works seamlessly without complex integration. Labs is the only provider that alone can offer total heart rate monitoring system solutions, ranging from sensor modules and algorithms to wireless SoCs that transmit measurements through Bluetooth LE Our Heart Rhythm Monitor example project considers the relationship between these components Interface, to provide a simple communication interface between modules to simplify customer support and debugging. "

The Si117x sensor supports Silicon Labs' proprietary motion compensation arrhythmia algorithms optimized for wrist measurements and runs on EFM32 Gecko MCUs and EFR32 Wireless Gecko SoCs that support Bluetooth Low Energy. This integration enables system-level power consumption and performance optimization, and reduces the developer's time to add heart rate monitoring capabilities to their wearable designs.

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 Author：Brittany Antonia （The author of article owns the copyright.）