Market’s “brainiest” 6-axis MEMS device runs sensor fusion and application SW on-chip within a previously unattainable power budget
STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications and the worldwide technology leader for motion, environmental, audio and micro-fluidic MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems), announced today a new family of always-on 6-axis inertial motion sensors with industry-lowest power requirements, ultra-compact packaging and unprecedented design flexibility. The new family features a unique 6-axis inertial motion-sensing device that can run all sensor-related functions as well as customer-specific application software onboard while consuming up to 40% less power than existing solutions.
ST’s new 6-axis sensors deliver best-in-class motion sensing that can detect orientation and gestures to empower application developers and consumers with features and capabilities more sophisticated than simply orienting their devices for portrait and landscape mode. Taking 360-degree panoramic photos simply by slowly rotating your mobile phone or scrolling through maps with a sweep of your arm are just two of many new tricks enabled by this new family of sensors.
Combining state-of-the-art motion sensing with the powerful ‘brains’ of an ARM®Cortex™ microprocessor core, the LSM6DB0 6-axis smart sensor is the latest device in ST’s iNEMOTM smart-sensor family. It is the only device on the market that can efficiently run all of the sensor-related features specified in Android™ KitKat™ 4.4 on board – saving power, enabling faster reaction time and simplifying device design. Thanks to the open microprocessor architecture, device manufacturers can integrate their own custom sensor application software.
“If you go for a long run, you need your portable device to accurately track the whole route, without running out of power midway. The new ST sensors help avoid such mishaps by significantly reducing power consumption,” said Benedetto Vigna, Executive Vice President and General Manager Analog, MEMS & Sensors Group, STMicroelectronics. “Our new iNEMO product is the market’s ‘brainiest’ 6-axis motion-sensing device that can run all sensor-related software on-chip within previously unattainable power budgets. As a family, these new sensors offer greater convenience and value while showcasing ST’s emphasis on delivering outstanding innovation and quality and benefitting from our experience in shipping hundreds of millions of inertial measurement units (IMUs).”
ST’s new 6-axis inertial motion sensors — LSM6DB0, LSM6DS1, and LSM6DS0 – are sampling now, with volume production scheduled for first half of 2014.
Technical details
The sensors’ industry-best performance is the result of true 6-axis sensing, where both the 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope are manufactured on the same chip. They operate synchronously at the same output data rate, fusing correlated, true six-degree-of-freedom motion and not just separate acceleration and angular-rate inputs. This implements state-of-the-art motion tracking; efficient and reliable contextual awareness; a low-power, accurate pedometer; precise orientation; and heading on any portable device. ST’s innovation also drives accelerometer zero-g offset down by an order of magnitude to a maximum of 100mg and gyroscope rate noise down to 0.008 dps / √Hz typical at low full-scale. Moreover, the power-efficient sensors consume less than 2mA and come in ultra-compact 3x3x0.8mm (LSM6DS0, LSM6DS1) or 3x3x1mm (LSM6DB0) packages.
The LSM6DS1 and LSM6DB0 both include the sensor hub to coordinate and synchronize additional sensors, including magnetic and environmental sensors. On the other hand, the LSM6DS0 matches perfectly with baseband chips that already include the sensor hub while still delivering the same excellent 6-axis performance. All of the sensors are baseband-agnostic and can operate with any application processor.
The LSM6DB0 is ideal for baseband chipsets that don’t include a sensor co-processor; all sensor-related functions run onboard to minimize application latency at the system level. This smart sensor is well suited to, and fully compatible with, all of the latest mobile operating systems. For example, it can run all of the features of Android Kit-Kat 4.4, including full sensor configuration and management, smart power management, magnetometer calibrations, gyroscope bias estimation and offset compensation, accelerometer background calibration, 6- and 9-axis fusion, pedometer and step counting, significant motion-data collection, buffering with real-time data-stamp generation, and individual batch mode for all real and virtual sensors.
