|
STMicroelectronics Unveils 3-Axis Gyroscope for Automotive Applications [Professional Services Close - Up]
(Professional Services Close - Up Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor company, serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications and a supplier of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems sensors and automotive ICs, has introduced a 3-axis digital-output gyroscope that meets the qualification for automotive integrated circuits.
According to a release, STMicroelectronics' newest angular-rate sensor aims to add positioning accuracy and stability to a range of automotive applications, including in-dash navigation, telematics and vehicle tolling systems.
Officials noted that accurate measurements of angular-motion detection with STMicroelectronics' automotive-qualified gyroscopes will enhance dead-reckoning and/or map-matching capabilities in car navigation and telematics applications. In situations when a GPS signal can't be seen, such as indoors and in urban canyons between tall buildings, dead-reckoning systems compensate for loss of satellite signal by monitoring motion, distance traveled and altitude. Precise gyroscope readings can also aid map-matching, the process of aligning a sequence of observed user positions with the road network on a digital map, used in a number of applications, including traffic flow analysis and driving directions.
These new dead-reckoning and map-matching capabilities are enabled with the industry-unique design concept of ST's gyroscopes, which employ a single sensing structure for motion measurement along all three orthogonal axes. This eliminates any interference between the axes, increasing measurement precision, coupled with output stability over time and temperature.
ST's A3G4250D gyroscope measures angular rates up to +/-250dps (degree per second). An on-chip IC interface converts the angular- motion data into a 16-bit digital bit stream that is transmitted with high reliability to a dedicated microcontroller chip through a standard SPI or I(2)C protocol. The device provides two output lines (interrupt and data ready) and four user-selectable output data rates.
The 3V single-supply sensor integrates power-down and sleep modes and an embedded FIFO (first-in first-out) memory block for smarter power management. The A3G4250D embeds an 8-bit temperature sensor and operates within an extended temperature range from -40 to 85 degrees C. The device is robust to electromagnetic interference and withstands shocks up to 10,000g.
ST's 3-axis gyroscope for automotive applications has been designed and produced using the same manufacturing-process technology that ST has already successfully applied to 1.8 billion motion sensors sold in the market.
STMicroelectronics serves customers across the spectrum of electronics applications with semiconductor solutions.
((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))
(c) 2012 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved.
[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
|
TMCnet LOGIN
Webinars
