STMicroelectronics, a leading supplier of MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) devices, has announced a new solution extending its family of ultra-compact low-g linear accelerometers. Its ultra-compact square footprint and low power consumption make the LIS244AL motion-sensing device ideally suited for battery-powered portable applications, such as mobile phones, portable multimedia players or remote controls.
The new accelerometer incorporates in a single package both a robust, dual-axis MEMS sensor and a CMOS interface chip that provides two simultaneous, real-time analogue outputs: one for side-to-side (lateral) and one for forward-backward (longitudinal) directions.
The LIS244AL provides acceleration values at a low noise level with minimised power consumption, which is especially critical in battery-operated portable systems. The new accelerometer is housed in an inexpensive 4 x 4 x 1.5 mm3 plastic package to fit in a variety of space-constrained applications and its ultra-compact robust design provides shock survivability up to 10,000g.
ST's new accelerometer offers a full-scale output range of +/-2.0g. The built-in self-test facility allows the user to verify both the mechanical and electrical parts of the device. The accelerometer uses ST's ECOPACK lead-free technology for RoHS-compliance (the EU's Restriction on Use of Hazardous Substances Directive).
The LIS244AL addresses a wide range of applications sensitive to package size and power consumption, including data-integrity protection; user interface; anti-theft system; remote device control; intelligent motion-based power management; sport and health monitoring devices.
