STMicroelectronics Enables "The Next Step" in Precision 3D Location Sensing
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
The world's smallest digital pressure sensor in high-volume production uses
innovative MEMS technology to precisely measure altitude
Geneva, September 5, 2012 - STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global
semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics
applications, the world's top MEMS manufacturer, and the leading supplier of
MEMS sensors for consumer and portable applications[1], has introduced a new
pressure sensor that allows mobile phones and other portable devices to
calculate their vertical elevation relative to sea-level with very high
accuracy. This means that the mobile device will know not only on which floor of
a building it is located, but almost on which step of the staircase.
Accurate location of mobile devices will be the key enabler for many emerging
Location-Based Services (LBS), which are widely expected to be the next wave of
"killer applications" in the mobile world. The challenge is to provide the
means of identifying the location of the mobile device in three dimensions in a
way that meets a variety of conflicting constraints including spatial
resolution, reliability, physical size, robustness, and cost.
For the horizontal part of the location (latitude and longitude), the
universally adopted solution is GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), which
allows the horizontal position of the device to be calculated to within a meter
in optimum conditions where the device can receive signals from four or more
satellites. ST has already demonstrated a solution for indoor navigation
developed in conjunction with CSR that can locate devices horizontally and
vertically, even in the absence of any satellite signals.
For the third dimension (vertical elevation), atmospheric pressure can provide
greater resolution than GNSS - especially when fewer than four satellite signals
are visible - as pressure drops steadily with increased elevation. ST's new
pressure sensor can accurately measure air pressure from 260 millibars, which is
the typical air pressure at a height of around 10 km (about 1,500 m higher than
the summit of Mount Everest) to 1,260 millibars, which is the typical air
pressure at 1,800 m below sea-level, about half the depth of the deepest mine
ever dug. Housed in a tiny 3x3mm package and offering low voltage operation and
ultra-low power consumption, the new device is ideal for use in smart phones,
sports watches, and other portable equipment, as well as in weather stations and
automotive and industrial applications. The LPS331AP has already been adopted
for use in Samsung's latest and most advanced smartphone.
"Since launching the Consumerization Wave of MEMS devices, we have developed and
delivered devices able to detect gravity, acceleration, angular rate, and the
Earth's magnetic field," said Benedetto Vigna, Executive Vice President, Analog,
MEMS & Sensors Group, STMicroelectronics. "All these sensors help smart consumer
devices detect and react to motion. Now we are introducing a device that senses
the weight of the atmosphere and will help consumer products recognize if a
person or an object is moving up and down."
ST's LPS331AP pressure-sensing device is fabricated using a proprietary MEMS
technology, called "VENSENS", that allows the pressure sensor to be fabricated
on a monolithic silicon chip. Manufacturing the device in this way eliminates
wafer-to-wafer bonding and maximizes reliability. The sensing element in the
LPS331AP is based on a flexible silicon membrane formed above an air cavity with
a controlled gap and defined internal pressure. The membrane is very small
compared to traditional silicon micro-machined membranes and is protected from
breakage by built-in mechanical stoppers. A piezoresistor, a tiny structure
whose electrical resistance varies as the membrane flexes in response to changes
in the external pressure, is embedded in the membrane and the change in
resistance is monitored, thermally compensated, and converted to a digital
pressure value that can be read by the equipment's host processor using the
industry-standard I(2)C or SPI interfaces.
Main technical features of the LPS331AP
* High resolution, low-noise sensor able to detect differences within
centimeters of altitude variation;
* ST's proprietary VENSENS technology providing high burst resistance, up to
20 times full scale;
* Selectable ODR from 1 Hz to 25 Hz;
* Low power consumption: low res. mode 5.5µA, high res. mode: 30 µA;
* Supply voltage: 1.71 to 3.6 V;
* A temperature range extending from -40 °C to +85 °C;
* Integrated temperature sensor enabling temperature span compensation;
* Fab calibration of pressures and temperatures, eliminating the need for in-
house calibration of shipped devices;
* Supplied in a 3x3x1mm plastic land-grid-array (HCLGA-16L) package. The
package is holed to allow external pressure to reach the sensing element.
The LPS331AP is now in volume production at a typical price of $2.6 in
quantities of 1,000 units. Samples and evaluation kits are available to support
design-in and shorten time-to-market. ST's pressure sensor evaluation kit
consists of a motherboard (STEVAL-MKI109V2) and a plug-in module, the
STEVALMKI120V1 adapter including the LPS331AP pressure sensor.
About STMicroelectronics
ST is a global leader in the semiconductor market serving customers across the
spectrum of sense and power technologies and multimedia convergence
applications. From energy management and savings to trust and data security,
from healthcare and wellness to smart consumer devices, in the home, car and
office, at work and at play, ST is found everywhere microelectronics make a
positive and innovative contribution to people's life. By getting more from
technology to get more from life, ST stands for life.augmented.
In 2011, the Company's net revenues were $9.73 billion. Further information on
ST can be found at www.st.com.
For Press Information Contact:
STMicroelectronics
Michael Markowitz
Director Technical Media Relations
+1 781 591 0354
michael.markowitz(at)st.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] IHS iSuppli: MEMS Competitive Analysis 2012
ST Pressure Sensor_IMAGE:
http://hugin.info/152740/R/1638757/527298.jpg
ST Pressure Sensor :
http://hugin.info/152740/R/1638757/527297.pdf
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Datum: 05.09.2012 - 09:30 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 180256
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Kategorie:
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