ScioSense has launched the UFC23 ultrasonic flow converter, a fourth-generation sensor front end designed for high-precision, low-power measurement in smart water, heat, gas, and leak detection meters.
The device is aimed at meter manufacturers that want to keep flow calculation on a central host microcontroller while using a dedicated ultrasonic front end for timing, analogue signal handling, and transducer drive. Meter OEMs are increasingly retaining control of system software while seeking improved measurement stability at low flow rates.
Unlike previous ScioSense flow converters, the UFC23 uses a pure front-end architecture and omits an on-chip central processing unit. The company said this gives manufacturers greater flexibility to fit preferred host-controller architectures while improving analogue front-end performance for high-end meter designs.
In a typical DN15 water meter setup, ScioSense said the UFC23 delivers single-shot standard deviation of 35ps and offset stability of ±7ps with 128-sample averaging, with drift of less than 10ps across 0 to 50°C. The timing stability supports signal quality for demanding water meter classes, including R1000-class measurement requirements.
Power consumption is a central design feature. The device is specified for standby current of typically 0.8µA and operating current as low as 6.6µA at an 8Hz sample rate, supporting battery-powered field devices where service life is a core commercial requirement.
The UFC23 integrates the functions required to drive ultrasonic transducers, capture received signals, and extract high-precision time-of-flight data. It supports 3.3V single-ended drive for water applications and full-bridge drive for gas meters. A programmable gain amplifier with increased gain and bandwidth helps the device process weak received signals, while an ultrasonic burst generator operating up to 4.4MHz enables designers to tune operation to the transducer and application.
“UFC23 addresses a clear requirement in the metering market for a high-precision, ultra-low-power ultrasonic flow converter that fits modern system architectures. It enables manufacturers to pair ScioSense analogue and timing performance with their chosen host microcontroller and software environment,” said Norbert Breyer, Director of Marketing and Product Management at ScioSense.
The device also includes amplitude monitoring for up to three received waves, extended pulse-width measurement for first-hit detection, and batch mode for collecting up to 12 measurement bundles before waking the host controller. It operates from a 2.5V to 3.6V supply, supports a -40°C to 85°C temperature range, and is supplied in a QFN32 package.
Samples are available now, with evaluation kits available through key distributors. Further technical information is available on the ScioSense UFC23 product page.
