STMicro Mobile App Voltage-Agnostic MEMS-Based Motion Sensor

STMicroelectronics has introduced a high-performance MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical System) sensors with a 3-axis accelerometer with absolute analog output. Able to operate with any supply voltage in the range of 2.16V to 3.6V and extremely stable over temperature and time, the LIS352AX is designed for motion-sensing applications in space- and cost-constrained battery-operated devices, including free-fall detection for data-integrity protection in hard-disk drives, vibration monitoring and compensation, remote control, as well as motion user interfaces in mobile and gaming devices or portable media players.

The 3-axis motion sensor has been designed to provide acceleration values in the form of absolute analog outputs. Taking advantage of internal regulated voltage, the measurements are insensitive to the typical variations in power-supply voltage that occur in battery-operated devices, such as mobile phones and other portable devices. There are two benefits of this approach: equipment manufacturers can save space and cost by connecting the sensor directly to the battery without a separate voltage regulator; and design flexibility, since the sensor is compatible with any power supply voltage used in a given application.

The LIS352AX has high stability over a wide temperature range for both zero-g offset and sensitivity, with the offset drift (temperature variation) around plus or minus 0.3mg/degree Celsius.

The LIS352AX provides accurate output across a full-scale range of +/-2.0g. The device operates at a low noise level with minimized power consumption, which is critical in battery-operated portable systems.

The accelerometer is rather immunity to vibration and shock survivability up to 10,000g. Built-in self-test capability allows the customer to verify the functioning of the sensor after it has been assembled on board.

Samples of the LIS352AX are available now, with volume production starting in June 2009. Unit pricing is $1.3 for quantities over 10,000 pieces a year.