STMicroelectronics declared that it has come out with a comprehensive hardware package, which is capable of sensing the location by exercising 10 degrees of freedom (DoF).
The hardware package is a combination of three MEMS sensors, namely geo-magnetic module, pressure sensor and a gyroscope. This forms a highly efficient package that is capable of providing precise data on linear, magnetic and angular motion along with the corresponding altitude readings, which is extremely useful for navigation.
10 DoF Position Sensor
Data such as earth’s gravity, linear acceleration, altitude and angular velocity can also be obtained from the hardware by integrating it with mobile phones and other consumer devices. The hardware solution when used with mobile phones is a perfect navigation guide for users wherever they are located, irrespective of availability of GPS signal.
In addition to integrating sophisticated motion-sensor data onto consumer devices, the company has introduced the iNEMO Engine that combines the output from accelerometers, magnetic sensors and gyroscopes by complex algorithms and provides advanced motion-sensing capabilities in consumer devices.
The 10-DoF sensor includes a number of individual components. The geo-magnetic module, LSM303DLHC, is capable of sensing magnetic and linear motion and can operate with 110 microampere power. The module exhibits good stability over temperature and time ranges and comes with sophisticated features such as detection in 4D/6D orientation, free fall and two programmable interrupt signals. The L3G4200D three-axis digital gyroscope measures 4x4x1 mm. It comes with FIFO memory block, which reduces the power usage drastically. The third component, silicon pressure sensor, provides high resolution pressure measurements and altitude. It is highly sensitive to altitude variations and operates in the pressure range of 260 – 1260 millibars.