Permanent Power for Wireless Sensors

Wireless sensors are becoming increasingly integrated and miniaturized. One obstacle facing sensor designers is the lack of size and profile improvement in batteries and other energy storage devices that maintain sufficient capacity to deliver the necessary power and energy.

This paper discusses recent advances in thin-film battery technology that are providing new means for wireless sensor designers to power their devices. It introduces the new EnerChip thin-film battery from Cymbet, which can be reflow-soldered directly to the sensor electronics circuit card. EnerChip batteries can be recharged many thousands of times, making them ideal for wireless sensor applications.