After a long wait, wireless mouse users might just get what they wanted, a special sensor that draws so little power, it can run from a single battery for over a year.
Installed in wireless mouse, by electronics manufacturer Avago, the ADNS-2080 and ADNS-300 optical LED-based sensors perform high-speed motion detection at up to 30 inches per second and measure acceleration of up to 20g. They’re also configurable up to 2,000 counts per inch – offering, the company claims, extremely accurate and sensitive navigation.
Marketing manager Angeline Khoo claims that “the combination of lowering power consumption while improving tracking performance is the foundation of our dominant leadership position for optical mouse sensors,” and further makes the claim that “the ADNS-2080 and ADNS-3000 optical sensors build on this tradition with outstanding tracking performance and by enabling wireless mice to operate using only one AA battery.”
The vast majority of wireless mice use two AA batteries, do not last very long even with high-capacity rechargeables.
Avago’s latest invention, however claims to have made wireless mice that can run on a single AA cell for over a year – meaning lighter, more portable mice that are friendly to both the environment and consumers’ pockets.
The sensor is similar to traditional LED and laser-based optical sensors in operation. As the mouse moves, the sensor takes a series of sequential images of the surface on which it is being moved, and mathematically determines the direction and speed of movement translating the series of still images into instructions for the on-screen mouse cursor.
By using low-power electronics and implementing a clever sleep mode designed to shut the sensor down when there’s no motion input but to fire it back up again without delay as soon as the mouse moves, the company has opened the door for significantly improved cordless mice.
Avago’s sensors are significantly more impressive than their predecessors since the wireless mouse doesn’t need the battery changing so often.
Avago has yet to confirm whether any major peripherals manufacturer is planning a mouse series using the company’s latest sensors, which cost between $0.85 and $0.95 each for up to 1,000 units.