Freescale advances motion sensing for next-generation consumer devices

The MMA8450Q accelerometer is designed for next-generation mobile devices, such as smartphones and smartbooks, which require an ideal blend of performance, portability and battery life to satisfy market requirements. The 3-axis digital sensor plays a key role in Freescale’s smartbook tablet reference design, which debuted last month at CES 2010.

The device offers a broad range of embedded and highly configurable functions designed to help OEMs address specific product requirements, including orientation, tap, double tap, jolt, freefall and shake detection capabilities.

According to a recent iSuppli report, the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) market is expected to reach $8.3 billion by 2012, up from $5.6 billion in 2006.

“Despite the deep cuts in consumer spending on major electronics and mobile products, the MEMS industry continues to thrive in mobile handsets and consumer devices,” said Jérémie Bouchaud, director and principal analyst, MEMS, for iSuppli. “A number of factors drive the success of MEMS sensors, including the desire for intuitive motion-based interfaces in mobile devices and providing rich and realistic experiences.”

The MMA8450Q sensor features 12-bit digital resolution and is contained in a compact, 3 x 3 x 1 mm package. It offers intelligent data management capabilities, with an internal first-in/first-out (FIFO) 32-samples/axis (X-, Y- and Z-axis) memory buffer engineered to improve overall system power savings and response time by offloading functions from the host processor. Using the FIFO buffer along with the embedded functions can allow the end processor to analyze only the required data, while at the same time helping to protect from the possibility of data loss when multiplexing other sensors on the same I2C bus. Configurable power saving modes and auto-wake/sleep capability help designers achieve optimal current consumption. The extensive configurability for each of the embedded functions that can be tied to the auto-wake/sleep function can enable context-aware products for more power efficiency.

“Only three percent of mobile phones contained an accelerometer in 2007 according to analyst firm iSuppli, but thanks to advances in MEMS technology and consumer demand for enhanced user interfaces, that number is expected to jump to 33 percent in 2010,” said Demetre Kondylis, vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Sensor & Actuator Solutions Division. “With Freescale’s MMA8450Q accelerometer, developers of mobile phones and other consumer devices can now incorporate enhanced functionality while extending battery life and ultimately improving the end user’s experience.”

Target applications for the MMA8450Q accelerometer include portable consumer devices such as mobile phones and remote controls, as well as smartbooks, eReaders, netbooks, laptop PCs, PMPs and PDAs. Additional applications include activity monitoring for medical applications, dead-reckoning assistance for navigation applications, position detection for fleet tracking and safety shutoff for power tools and small appliances.