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Motorola Enables Advanced
Features in Consumer and Automotive Applications with Family of Low-Acceleration
Sensors
1.5G – 8G Sensors Measure
Acceleration in Three Dimensions on a Single Printed Circuit Board, Available in
Volume Production
PHOENIX – September 16, 2002 –
Designers of systems that require detection of small changes in force, such as
game pads and vehicle roll-over detection systems, can expect to benefit from
flexible design options and enhanced features thanks to a new line of inertial
sensors. In response to high customer demand, Motorola, Inc.’s (NYSE:MOT)
Semiconductor Products Sector is now offering a range of low-gravity (g)
inertial sensors (also called accelerometers), ranging from 1.5g to 8g.
Low-g inertial sensor ICs, are designed for
end products or embedded systems that require measurement of small forces
resulting from shock, vibration, tilt, movement or acceleration. Sensing
capabilities derive from MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) technology,
which is inherent in micron-sized mechanical devices that can sense, process
and/or control the surrounding environment. This technology gives low-g
accelerometers the capability to sense very small changes in movements relative
to a particular reference point.
From washing
machines, sports medicine equipment and video game pads to seismic detectors,
security systems and automobile rollover detection systems, original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) are using low-g accelerometers to differentiate their
products with safety, security and convenience features. Reflecting the
potential of this technology, In-Stat/MDR predicts that worldwide revenues for
MEMS will grow from $3.9 billion in 2001 to $9.6 billion in
2006.*
"The growth of sensors parallels the
growth of microcontrollers, which need sensors to deliver critical information,"
said Marlene Bourne, Senior Analyst, In-Stat/MDR. "The low-g sensor market in
particular is booming due to their usefulness in gaming devices, touch pads and
crash detection systems. By offering a family of low-g accelerometers with such
a wide range of measurement capabilities, Motorola is well-positioned to meet a
real market need."
“As the applications
for sensors continue to expand, manufacturers need a broader range of choices to
meet new price and performance requirements,” said Brett Richmond, vice
president and general manager of Motorola’s Sensor Products Division.
“More than two decades of sensors experience have been brought to bear in
expanding our line of accelerometers. Today’s announcement underscores
our commitment to provide a full range of sensor products to customers
developing a wide variety of applications.”
Low-g Accelerometer
Applications
Automotive – Low-g sensors in the automotive market segment can be used in systems that determine if the vehicle is in a rollover event and are designed to help minimize damage to the car and passengers. If a rollover event is detected, the accelerometer is designed to detect changes in tilt or inclination, and to trigger the microcontroller in the car seat to adjust downward so that the person is seated lower in the car. This may result in additional compartment space for the occupant than if the person were still seated at a higher level in the vehicle during the rollover. Automotive electronics manufacturers are pursuing other preventive measures that would incorporate the use of low-g accelerometers, such as using the low range of sensitivity to determine whether to adjust the air suspension on the vehicle to help prevent a rollover incident. Video Game Pads – Motorola’s low-g sensors are optimal for game pad applications as they are highly responsive to small changes in motion and tilt, due to the multi-axis sensitivity. This heightened sensitivity and full range of motion are engineered to enable game users to make very small impressions on the game pad to reflect more accurate visuals on the television/computer screen when flying, driving and executing other quick responses in game play. Seismic Detectors – Seismic switch applications can use Motorola’s new low-g sensors to respond with more assurance and reliability to earthquake motions, rejecting non-earthquake motions. It is the sensitivity of the device that enables the application to detect particular motions. For example, horizontal shaking motions are often two to three times as strong as vertical motions, and it is imperative for a seismic detector to process the difference between these.
In
addition to the applications above, there is a range of consumer, healthcare,
industrial, and automotive applications that benefit from the multi-axis
sensitivity offered by Motorola’s low-g accelerometers. These
include:
-- Consumer: video game pads, virtual
reality input devices, computer hard-drive protection, computer mouse,
joysticks, washing machines, dead reckoning such as in personal navigation
systems
-- Healthcare/Fitness: sports medicine
equipment, physical therapy/rehabilitation equipment, ergonomics tools,
pedometers
-- Industrial: vibration
measurement, bearing wear monitoring, seismic detectors, seismic switches,
inclinometers, robotics, security alarms, security enhancement
equipment
-- Automotive: vehicle rollover
sensing, braking systems, occupant safety, suspension
Low-g Accelerometer Features Each
of Motorola’s low-g sensors includes signal conditioning, temperature
compensation, and zero-g offset with a sensitivity of 1200 millivolts per unit
of gravity (mV/g) in addition to the
following:
-- X and Y-axis sensitivity for
differentiating between movements along the horizontal and vertical axes
-- Z-axis sensing on horizontal printed
circuit boards enables full-scale span
-- 3-D
sensing for measuring all possible surrounding points and
movements
-- Self-test capability allows the
verification of the mechanical and electrical integrity of the accelerometer at
any time before or after installation
-- Small
profile packages – 16-pin SOIC package for size-constrained end products
or embedded systems
Motorola’s sensor
products portfolio includes pressure sensors and accelerometers. With
today’s announcement, Motorola now provides accelerometers ranging from
1.5g to 250g. The family of low-g accelerometers includes the MMA1220D 8g,
Z-axis sensor; MMA1250D 5g, Z-axis sensor; MMA1270D 2.5g, Z-axis sensor;
MMA2260D 1.5g, X-axis sensor; and MMA1260D 1.5g, Z-axis
sensor.
Motorola also provides a complement of
8-, 16- and 32-bit microcontrollers, digital signal processors, analog ICs,
software and development support that work in conjunction with sensors to
provide customers comprehensive system solutions.
Price and
Availability
The MMA1220D (8g) and MMA1250D (5g) are available now in
production quantities. The MMA1270D (2.5g), MMA2260D (1.5g), and MMA1260D
(1.5g) are available now in sample quantities with production volumes expected
in fourth quarter of 2002. Suggested list price per unit in 10,000-piece
quantities is $7.54 (USD) for all of the devices.
About Motorola
As the world's #1 producer of embedded processors,
Motorola’s Semiconductor Products Sector creates
DigitalDNA ™ system-on-chip solutions for a connected world. Our
strong focus on wireless communications and networking enables customers to
develop smarter, simpler, faster and synchronized products for the person, work
team, home and automobile. Motorola's worldwide semiconductor sales were $4.9
billion (USD) in 2001.
http://www.motorola.com/semiconductorsMotorola,
Inc. (NYSE:MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated communications and
embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 2001 were $30 billion.
http://www.motorola.com/* Source: “It’s Raining MEMS: 2002 Industry
Overview,” by Marlene Bourne, In-Stat/MDR, July 2002
# # #
Media
Contacts - North America:
Lisa
Bradley
Motorola
+1 (480) 413-8819
Jill PartridgeMotorola
+1
(602)
952-3078
jill.partridge@motorola.com
Media Contact
- Europe
Media Contact
- Asia/Pacific
Media Contact
- Japan
Koichi Yoshimura Motorola
Japan Ltd. +81-3-3280-8672
Office +81-3-3440-0338
FAX mailto:koichi.yoshimura@motorola.comReader
Inquiry Response:Motorola
SPS P.O. Box
17927 Denver, CO 80217
USA MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are
registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. All other product or service
names are the property of their respective owners. (c) 2002 Motorola, Inc.
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