NXP Semiconductors KITMPL115A2I2C

Overview

KITMPL115A2I2C from NXP Semiconductors is an evaluation kit for the MPL115A2 miniature I²C digital barometric pressure sensor, enabling rapid prototyping of atmospheric pressure and altitude measurement systems. It provides direct access to the 50–115 kPa absolute pressure range, ±1 kPa accuracy, and factory-calibrated compensation coefficients via a standard I²C interface (7-bit address 0x60) in a 3 × 5 × 1.2 mm LGA-8 package.

For engineers reviewing the KITMPL115A2I2C datasheet, KITMPL115A2I2C pinout, KITMPL115A2I2C application, or KITMPL115A2I2C equivalent, this kit supports immediate validation of pressure-to-altitude conversion algorithms, low-power sleep/wake sequencing (1 µA shutdown), and host MCU integration using the documented 10-bit ADC outputs, coefficient memory map, and I²C command set (e.g., CONVERT = 0x12).

Technical Context

The KITMPL115A2I2C implements a complete hardware interface for the MPL115A2 MEMS pressure sensor, including on-board pull-up resistors (4.7 kΩ) for SCL/SDA, decoupling capacitors (1 µF on VDD and CAP), and proper PCB layout per NXP's recommended landing pattern (SOT1769-1). It exposes all eight LGA terminals-VDD, CAP, GND, SHDN, RST, NC, SDA, SCL-with clear silkscreen labeling and test points for oscilloscope probing.

It enables full functional verification of the MPL115A2's three-stage operation: coefficient read (0x04–0x0B), pressure/temperature conversion (0x12), and compensated output calculation using a0/b1/b2/c12 coefficients stored in internal ROM. The kit supports the full operating temperature range (–40 °C to +105 °C) and supply voltage range (2.375 V to 5.5 V), matching the sensor's production-grade electrical and mechanical specifications.

Key Specifications

Availability

KITMPL115A2I2C is available at Aetrix Electronics and suitable for barometric altimeters, portable weather stations, and industrial environmental monitoring requiring stable component supply, traceable calibration data, and rapid firmware validation cycles.

Supply support for KITMPL115A2I2C includes scheduled delivery planning, volume procurement assistance, BOM continuity management, traceable sourcing, and lifecycle availability coordination for OEM customers, industrial embedded developers, connected-device designers, and electronics production programs.

Manufacturer

NXP Semiconductors is a global semiconductor company headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, specializing in secure connectivity solutions for automotive, industrial, and IoT applications.

The MPL115A2 product line delivers miniature, low-power, factory-calibrated digital pressure sensors targeting space-constrained portable electronics where barometric precision and energy efficiency are critical design requirements.

FAQ

What is the primary function of the KITMPL115A2I2C evaluation kit?

The KITMPL115A2I2C evaluation kit provides a ready-to-use hardware platform for validating the MPL115A2 digital barometric pressure sensor. It includes the sensor mounted on a PCB with all necessary passive components-decoupling capacitors, I²C pull-ups, and proper thermal/mechanical layout-enabling immediate connection to a host microcontroller for reading raw pressure/temperature ADC values, retrieving factory calibration coefficients, and implementing the documented compensation algorithm to compute absolute pressure in kPa. This eliminates custom PCB development for initial sensor characterization.

Does the KITMPL115A2I2C support the full operating range of the MPL115A2 sensor?

Yes, the KITMPL115A2I2C supports the full operational envelope of the MPL115A2 sensor: supply voltage from 2.375 V to 5.5 V, ambient temperature from –40 °C to +105 °C, and pressure measurement across the entire 50–115 kPa range. Its PCB layout follows NXP's recommended land pattern (SOT1769-1), uses RoHS-compliant SAC305 solder, and incorporates 1 µF decoupling on both VDD and CAP pins-ensuring electrical stability and thermal performance consistent with the sensor's datasheet specifications under real-world conditions.

How do I initiate a pressure and temperature conversion using the KITMPL115A2I2C?

To initiate a pressure and temperature conversion using the KITMPL115A2I2C, send an I²C write command to the MPL115A2 device at its 7-bit address 0x60 (write byte 0xC0), followed by the command byte 0x12. This triggers the sensor's internal sequence: wake-up, pressure ADC sampling, temperature ADC sampling, and storage of results in registers 0x00–0x03. After the maximum conversion time of 3 ms, read the 10-bit pressure MSB (0x00) and LSB (0x01), and temperature MSB (0x02) and LSB (0x03) to obtain raw digitized values required for the compensation calculation in the KITMPL115A2I2C application flow.

Can the KITMPL115A2I2C be used to verify the MPL115A2's shutdown current specification?

Yes, the KITMPL115A2I2C allows direct verification of the MPL115A2's shutdown current specification of ≤1 µA. Drive the SHDN pin (Pin 4) low via an external GPIO or jumper, then measure supply current at the VDD input using a precision picoammeter. The kit's layout isolates the sensor's power path, ensuring no leakage paths compromise measurement integrity. This confirms compliance with ultra-low-power requirements for battery-operated devices such as wearable health monitors or remote environmental loggers using the MPL115A2.

What calibration data is accessible through the KITMPL115A2I2C, and how is it used?

The KITMPL115A2I2C provides full access to the MPL115A2's factory-stored calibration coefficients: a0 (offset), b1 (pressure sensitivity), b2 (temperature coefficient of offset), and c12 (temperature coefficient of sensitivity), located at I²C register addresses 0x04–0x0B. These 16-bit signed values-read as MSB/LSB pairs-are essential inputs to the documented 3-step MAC compensation algorithm. Using the raw 10-bit pressure (Padc) and temperature (Tadc) ADC outputs obtained from registers 0x00–0x03, the host MCU computes compensated absolute pressure (Pcomp) with ±1 kPa accuracy across the 50–115 kPa range.