MEMS motion sensors add an intuitive man-machine interface to mobile phones, portable multimedia players, game controllers, personal navigation systems and remote input devices, creating interaction by linking the user’s wrist, arm, and hand movements to applications, navigation within and between menus, the movement of characters in a game and much more.

Robust and resistant to mechanical stress, the module leverages the same micromachining technology process that ST has already successfully applied to more than 600 million motion sensors sold in the market. The device boasts excellent stability over a wide operating temperature range (from -40°C to 85°C) and a negligible level of output noise.

ST’s low-power motion-sensing module combines a user-selectable full-scale acceleration range of ±2g/±4g/±8g with the industry’s widest angular-rate detection from 30 to 6000 dps along the pitch and yaw axes. The gyroscope element provides two separate outputs for each axis at the same time: an unamplified output value for high accuracy of slow motion and a 4x amplification to detect and measure very fast gestures and movements.

Addressing power constraints in battery-operated portable devices, ST’s new MEMS module includes power-down and sleep modes and it can operate with any supply voltage in the range of 2.7 to 3.6V. The device comes with built-in self-test capability that allows the customer to verify the functioning of both sensors after the assembly, without the need to move the board during testing.

 “ST meets the market demand for cost-effective integration of multiple motion sensors in a single module,” said Sam Guilaume, CEO, Movea, the industry leader in motion-sensing controllers. “With ST’s new MEMS modules, and our complementary SmartMotion technology, we will provide unequalled motion-based solutions for user interfaces in remote controls, game pads, smartphones and other consumer devices.” 

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend