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Tablets, smartphones drive surge in MEMS combo sensors
Dylan McGrath
10/8/2012 2:25 PM EDT
Teardowns find combos in mobiles
Dissections conducted by the IHS iSuppli Teardown Analysis Service confirm that combo sensors are present in recently released mobile devices includijng the Asus Nexus 7 tablet; the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet and the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone. Apple's iPhone, by contrast, uses a discrete motion sensor solution in order to retain flexibility and implement custom parts if needed, IHS said.
Various configurations of combo sensors exist, including 6-axis IMUs and 9DOF (degree of freedom) units made up of a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis electronic compass. According to IHS, the 6-axis IMU is expected to be the dominant configuration. The majority of its handset and tablet customers have converted—or are in the process of converting—to a 6-axis solution, which offers superior functionalities over a 3-axis design, according to California-based InvenSense, a MEMS maker and pioneer in combo sensors.
According to IHS, STMicroelectronics and InvenSense enjoy a considerable head start over rivals in 6-axis IMUs. But Germany's Bosch and New York-based Kionix are expected to join the fray soon, with production of 6-axis IMUs set to begin before the end of the year, IHS said. The market research firm said it also expects Fairchild Semiconductor and Maxim Integrated Products to enter this market.
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Dissections conducted by the IHS iSuppli Teardown Analysis Service confirm that combo sensors are present in recently released mobile devices includijng the Asus Nexus 7 tablet; the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet and the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone. Apple's iPhone, by contrast, uses a discrete motion sensor solution in order to retain flexibility and implement custom parts if needed, IHS said.
Various configurations of combo sensors exist, including 6-axis IMUs and 9DOF (degree of freedom) units made up of a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis electronic compass. According to IHS, the 6-axis IMU is expected to be the dominant configuration. The majority of its handset and tablet customers have converted—or are in the process of converting—to a 6-axis solution, which offers superior functionalities over a 3-axis design, according to California-based InvenSense, a MEMS maker and pioneer in combo sensors.
According to IHS, STMicroelectronics and InvenSense enjoy a considerable head start over rivals in 6-axis IMUs. But Germany's Bosch and New York-based Kionix are expected to join the fray soon, with production of 6-axis IMUs set to begin before the end of the year, IHS said. The market research firm said it also expects Fairchild Semiconductor and Maxim Integrated Products to enter this market.
Related stories:
- ST to drive into the automotive MEMS market
- Applied Materials readies DRIE machine for MEMS
- Fabless firm offers MEMS optical IC platform
- ASICs added to MEMS wafers
- Wearable monitoring system provides clinical support to patients at home
- Foundry sales growth hitting the skids
- Globalfoundries' 14-nm is 'low-shrink' node
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