3-axis accelerometer sets low power benchmark for mobile devices

The manufacturer says
Norwood, Mass. — Analog Devices, Inc. today announced the availability of the ADXL330, the industry's lowest power 3-axis accelerometer for a wide assortment of portable consumer devices with small power budgets. The ADXL330 sets a new benchmark for low power, typically consuming only 200 microamps at full power at a supply voltage of 2.0 V. Power requirements were reduced through innovative design techniques that leverage ADI's proven iMEMS process technology to produce a single, rugged 3-axis sensor structure integrated with signal conditioning on the same die. The ADXL330 is available in a small 4 mm x 4 mm x 1.45 mm industry standard surface mount package.

"Mobile phone OEMs have clearly articulated their requirement for a price point of $1 or less within a few years to achieve their vision of a 3-axis accelerometer as a standard handset component. By leveraging our proprietary iMEMS technology and high volume MEMS manufacturing experience, our product roadmap addresses the requirements of our high volume consumer customers with a path to small, low power 3-axis accelerometers for less than $1," said Bill Giudice, vice president and general manager, Micromachined Products Division, Analog Devices, Inc. "It's very exciting to see design engineers in mobile phone handset OEMs using ADI's iMEMS technology to deliver new motion and tilt sensing features. ADI's iMEMS Motion Signal Processing technology is poised to transform the way consumers around the world use and interact with their mobile phones."

As the first product in the family of Analog Devices' 3-axis accelerometers, the ADXL330 is ideally suited for a wide range of consumer product applications requiring small packaging, low-power, and reliable 3-axis sensing. Examples include:

• Mobile phone handsets with motion-sensing user interfaces and situational-aware functions such as power management
• Notebook computers and media players with disk drive protection systems
• Motion-enabled gaming devices that offer a more interactive, intuitive, and fun gaming experience
• Digital still cameras that sense position and motion to help users take better pictures

The ADXL330 is based on iMEMS Motion Signal Processing technology with a proven quality, reliability, and on-time delivery record backed by more than 200 million sensors shipped. This experience enables Analog Devices to successfully serve high volume consumer markets that often exhibit volatile demand.

"Low power consumption and small package size are absolutely critical to the integration of 3-axis accelerometers into consumer electronics products, particularly cell phones," said MEMS analyst Marlene Bourne, senior director of Nanotechnology and MEMS – Research, Global Crown Capital. "The ability to meet those needs, and in high volumes, is expected to result in the rapid adoption of motion sensing for countless consumer applications."

About the ADXL330

The ADXL330 is a small, low profile, low power, 3-axis accelerometer with signal conditioned analog voltage outputs. With a ±2 g range, it is capable of measuring the static acceleration of gravity for tilt-sensing applications, as well as dynamic acceleration resulting from motion, shock, or vibration. Power consumption is extremely low, less than 200 microamps at 2.0 V (typical). Supply voltage range is 2.0 V to 3.6 V. The ADXL330 is compatible with applications requiring bandwidths ranging from 0.5 Hz to 1.6 kHz. The ADXL330 is offered in a 4 mm 4 mm 1.45 mm, 16-lead, plastic lead frame chip scale package, with a shock rating of 10,000 g.

ADXL330 samples are currently available, with volume production in Q1 2006. OEM pricing is below $2.00 for high volume consumer applications. The datasheet and other information can be found at: www.analog.com/ADXL330