Bosch barometric pressure sensor raises the bar for accuracy and performance in mobile devices

Bosch Sensortec introduces the BMP581, a barometric pressure sensor that couples low power consumption with extreme accuracy to provide altitude tracking in wearables, hearables or IoT devices. This capability makes it ideal for applications such as fitness tracking, fall detection, indoor localization and navigation, enabling new use cases that were previously impossible.

"Building on the excellent performance and low power consumption of previous generations of Bosch sensors, our new BMP581 now delivers an entirely new level of accuracy", says Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO at Bosch Sensortec. "It’s breathtakingly accurate: it can measure a barometric pressure fluctuation that's equivalent to one-thousandth of the weight of a mosquito (7.6 μg)."

This extreme level of accuracy enables the sensor to detect an altitude change of just a few centimeters. It can, therefore, monitor movement in fitness applications down to the level of individual pull-ups or push-ups, and can provide highly accurate location information for indoor localization, navigation, and floor detection to provide key data for emergency call requirements (E-911).

The sensor can noticeably improve flight stability and landing accuracy in drones, and help detect water levels in household appliances to avoid flooding.

Low power consumption coupled with high accuracy

The BMP581 provides an excellent relative accuracy of +/-0.06 hPa and a typical absolute accuracy of +/-0.3 hPa. Full accuracy is available over a wide measurement range from 300 hPa to 1100 hPa. The BMP581 has a typical temperature coefficient offset (TCO) of just +/-0.5 Pa/K and low RMS noise of 0.08 Pa @ 1000 hPa (typical). Long-term drift over 12 months is only +/-0.1 hPa.

Compared to BMP390, the previous generation of Bosch barometric pressure sensors, the BMP581 draws 85% less current, noise is 80% lower, and TCO is reduced by 33%.

Typical current consumption of just 1.3 μA at 1Hz substantially extends battery life, while the deep standby mode draws only 0.5 μA. The sensor provides an I2C, I3C and SPI (3-wire/4-wire) digital, serial interface.

The BMP581 is provided in a compact 10-pin LGA package shielded by a metal cover, measuring just 2.0 x 2.0 x 0.75mm³.