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ST's MEMS chip could transform modern mobile devices

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An innovative accelerometer design boosts the sensor's thermal and mechanical stability to deliver robust high performance in a compact footprint

STMicroelectronics has unveiled its new high-performance MEMS accelerometer engineered to withstand increasingly challenging conditions inside the latest smartphones and other portable devices.

ST says that according to IHS's "Consumer and Mobile MEMS Market Tracker H1 2013," STMicroelectronics is the leading supplier of MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) devices for consumer and mobile applications.

Today's processing-intensive mobile apps and super-slim handset designs make portable electronics more vulnerable to thermal variation and bending. So OEMs are pushing to deliver new models supporting ever more precise, stable and responsive movement sensing for features such as inclinometer, gesture recognition, gaming, artificial horizon in cameras, indoor navigation, and augmented reality.

ST's new LIS2HH12 3-axis accelerometer is tackling this obstacle. It uses an innovative mechanical structure which is dedicated to processing and delivering consistent and stable high performance in thermally challenging conditions inside ever-slimmer portable applications.

"The innovative architecture of our new accelerometer represents a significant advance in the design of MEMS devices," says Benedetto Vigna, Executive Vice President, General Manager, Analogue, MEMS & Sensors Group, STMicroelectronics. "This next-generation device addresses the need of the mobile industry for higher performance and stability in advanced motion-sensitive applications."

The LIS2HH12 is housed in an ultra-small 2mm x 2mm x 1mm package, giving designers extra flexibility to meet pc-board layout rules for wireless handsets, and helping achieve a low overall handset profile.

The accelerometer has selectable full-scale range of ±2, ±4 or ±8 g and a 16-bit digital output, an integrated temperature sensor, industry-standard I2C and SPI interfaces, a wide analogue supply-voltage range of 1.71 V to 3.6 V, and two programmable interrupt generators that help streamline system design.

With typical Zero-g level change versus temperature of ± 0.25 mg/0C, the stability of the LIS2HH12 has improved twice compared with the previously announced devices. Also, the rejection versus bending with a typical offset accuracy of ±30 mg has improved by 25 percent over the existing solutions.

In addition, the LIS2HH12 is board- and software- compatible with ST's recently announced LSM303C 2mm x 2mm MEMS eCompass module, enabling OEMs to create differentiated handset products economically by leveraging common hardware and software. Alternatively, the LIS2HH12 accelerometer can be used with ST's LIS3MDL standalone magnetic sensor to create an eCompass using discrete components.

Engineering samples of the LIS2HH12, in the 2mm x 2mm x 1mm LGA-12 package, are available now. Volume production is expected to start in Q1 2014, with unit pricing at $0.90 for quantities of 1,000 pieces.


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