Murata Launches EVK-v2 Evaluation Board for Picoleaf Piezoelectric Film Sensor with Renesas GreenPAK

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Murata”) has developed the “EVK-v2” evaluation board (hereinafter “this evaluation board”) for Murata’s piezoelectric film sensor Picoleaf. The Evaluation boards includes Renesas Electronics Corporation (hereinafter “Renesas”) programmable mixed-signal GreenPAK IC and intuitively controllable GUI. The Picoleaf can simplify function inspections compared to conventional evaluation boards, contributing to efficient product development. Provision will begin in October 2024.

Murata’s piezoelectric film sensor Picoleaf is a thin sensor with a thickness of 0.2 mm or lower, capable of detecting pressing force with its high sensitivity as well as bio signals and motion. Evaluation boards up to this point had fixed output analog signal amplification factors, requiring source code modifications to adjust the on/off determination threshold. Therefore, customers were required to perform sensitivity adjustments themselves and function inspections were complex.

In response, Murata developed this evaluation board that can variably amplify sensor signals from Picoleaf and convert them into output digital signals recognizable by a microprocessor. By adopting the Renesas GreenPAK, this evaluation board can simultaneously connect up to 4 channels worth of sensors. Additionally, the integrated GUI function has enabled the display of output analog signals, dynamic switching of the amplification rate, and adjustment of the threshold for on/off determination output, among other features. This evaluation board simplifies the evaluation of Picoleaf, contributing greatly to efficient product development.

GUI sample of the evaluation board

Specifications of Murata’s evaluation board

For more information visit www.murata.com