Ultra-low power consuming 3-axis accelerometer from ST for motion sensing

ST Microelectronics has extended its motion-sensor portfolio with a 3-axis digital-output accelerometer. ST claims this new MEMS based device offers power consumption that is 90% lower than available solutions on the market and also provides a miniature footprint and enhanced functionality.

The accelerometer offers operating current consumption of 2 microamps. The 3x3x1 mm accelerometer is suggested for motion-sensing features and applications in space- and power-constrained consumer devices, such as mobile phones, remotes and game controllers. The sensor is also said to provide accurate output across full-scale ranges of ±2g/±4g/±8g/±16g.

The LIS3DH accelerometer contains a temperature sensor and three analog-to-digital converter (ADC) channels and can integrate with companion chips, such as gyroscopes. It also embeds features such as click and double-click recognition, 4D/6D orientation detection, and the sleep-to-wake-up mode, where the device keeps the read chain active and wakes up when an event occurs. It also consists of a programmable FIFO (first-in first-out) memory block and two programmable interrupt signals that fast notification of motion detection, click/double-click events, and other conditions. The LISH3DH is said to be the newest member of ST's MEMS portfolio. It has been designed and produced using ST's manufacturing-process technology. This device is pin-to-pin and software-compatible with all ST accelerometers in the LIS331 family.

Price: Each US$0.85 in quantities of 100,000 pieces.

Availability: Volume production is scheduled for early Q3 2010

To know more visit: www.st.com/mems