STMicroelectronics, the global leader in semiconductor applications and supplying MEMS for consumer and portable applications, has come up with the smallest three-axis analog-output gyroscope.
Superior performance and reliability combined with smart design flexibility are some of the distinguishing features of the new gyroscope. It comes in an ultra small package measuring just 4*4*1 mm3 and can be adopted in user interfaces such as mobile phones, tablets, game controllers and other consumer goods.
L3G462A
A unique concept that all ST’s MEMS employ is that of a single sensor for motion measurement along all three orthogonal axes. Interference between the axes is totally absent with this structure increasing accuracy and reliability. ST has earned a large market share by rolling out more than 40 gyroscopes over the last two years. STMicroelectronics plans to complete the volume production by the end of the third quarter of 2011.
The L3G462A gyroscope is capable of giving accurate angular-rate detection and provides a separate output for each of the three axes. It is capable of measuring gestures and movements of different speeds, thus can be used in applications such as navigation, motion-activated user interface and gaming. Extremely fast response time with low latency is ensured by the analog interface. The key parameters of the gyroscope are aligned to the application requirements by altering the external filtering capabilities and fine tuning. The compact size eliminates the issues with placement and layout, without compromising on performance. It offers unbeatable temperature stability (+/- 0.04dps/◦ C) and sensitivity (+/- 0.017%/◦ C), which improves the accuracy of measurement. The noise level is considerably low hence high precision is achieved in movement and gesture recognition. The gyroscope power consumption is low thanks to the power-down and sleep-to-wake modes; it is able to operate in any supply range of 2.4 to 3.6V.