Analog Devices’ iSensor Multi-Axis Motion Sensor Wins 2008 Elektra Award

The award was announced at a reception on 10th November 2008, Hilton Munich Park, Munich, Germany, where leaders from the electronics industry were gathered for electronica 2008.

The Elektra Awards are now in their sixth year and give the industry an opportunity to recognise the achievements of individuals and companies across Europe. Organised by Electronics Weekly and the Reed Electronics Group in Europe, the Elektra Awards bring together the entire industry to celebrate achievement of the highest standards that are driving the industry forward.

“We are honoured that the ADIS16355 iSensor has won a prestigious 2008 Elektra Award,” said Bob Scannell, business development manager, iSensor intelligent sensor products, Analog Devices. “This award acknowledges the commitment of our design engineers to developing cost-effective, easy-to-use sensor solutions for the industrial sector that solve real-world challenges.”

Leveraging Analog Devices’ iMEMS Motion Signal Processing Technology™, the ADIS16355 detects tiny shifts in linear acceleration and angular movement, providing dead reckoning which allows vehicles to remain on course until a lost GPS signal is restored. In addition to navigation, the ADIS16355 can be used in highly sensitive robotic and other motion control devices, where the IMU helps make certain that precision movements can be accurately repeated thousands of times. For instance, the ADIS16355 helps stabilise an aerial camera in motion picture production; controls a robotic arm in factory automation; and ensures stability in a prosthetic limb.

Easily incorporated into industrial system designs where performance is enhanced by precise motion analysis and control, the ADIS16355 enables designers to realise up to 12 months faster development times. The new IMU extends ADI’s award-winning iSensor intelligent sensor product family, which was introduced to meet the growing demand for MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) motion sensors in industrial markets. The company has shipped more than 500 million iMEMS motion sensors to date.

The ADIS16355 is a multi-axis motion sensor that cost-effectively combines gyroscopes and accelerometers to measure all six possible degrees of mechanical freedom (6DOF); linear motion in the X, Y, and Z axes and rotation around the X, Y, and Z axes. Other less integrated sensors require designers to perform complex, costly, and time-consuming motion testing and calibration across multiple axes before they can be assured the devices will provide accurate and stable feedback. Analog Devices overcomes this barrier by submitting the ADIS16355 to a comprehensive factory calibration process and providing the new sensor with a simple, programmable interface to ensure it is both highly precise and ready for integration right out-of-the-box.