Kionix expands motion sensing product portfolio with first gyros for consumer apps and trio of new accelerometers

ITHACA, USA: Kionix Inc. has announced a portfolio of products that further advances its position as a global leader in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial sensor design and manufacturing.

Featuring three new accelerometers that set company benchmarks for low power, performance over temperature, and user programmability—as well as the company’s first two gyros for mass-market consumer applications—these products mark a new stage in the company’s development.

Just one year after its acquisition by the multi-billion dollar semiconductor supplier, ROHM Co., Ltd., Kionix is broadening its offerings for developers of consumer applications in which motion sensing, gesture recognition, drop detection, performance monitoring and location awareness are essential attributes.

Congruent with Kionix’s existing portfolio, the new products support the industry’s most diverse selection of embedded algorithms and application software, fulfilling several objectives. They satisfy rigorous technical requirements, ease the design process for OEMs and ODMs, and leverage the company’s in-house manufacturing capabilities for volume production.

“These new products respond to the needs of our customers and demonstrate our commitment and capability to build on our market position as one of the world’s top-three suppliers of inertial sensors,” said Greg Galvin, president and CEO of Kionix.

“We have the foundation in place for continued aggressive growth because we provide our customers with the total solution—a diversified product line with significant resources dedicated to both hardware and software innovation, field-proven quality, a partnership approach to our customer relationships, extensive manufacturing capacity and all the benefits of a multi-billion-dollar company behind us.”

Kionix enters consumer gyro market
The company announced a pair of new gyros aimed at the consumer devices market—the dual-axis KGY12 and the tri-axis KGY13.

Citing a high-growth consumer gyro market that analysts expect to reach US$1.04B by 20141, Galvin stated: “MEMS gyroscopes are making consumer-electronics history with their rapidly-growing integration into a wide range of products. For Kionix, having had such widespread success with accelerometers, producing gyroscopes optimized for mass-produced consumer applications was a logical next step—and one that will enhance our market position in 2011 and 2012.”

Kionix gyros are packaged in a 5x5x0.9mm 24-pin land grid array (LGA). They feature low power consumption and 16-bit digital outputs (I2C and SPI) over a measurement range of ±2048°/sec. Analog outputs are also available in user-selectable ranges of ±128°/sec, ±256°/sec, ±512°/sec, ±1024°/sec and ±2048°/sec. Both gyros offer user-definable bandwidth and embedded temperature sensors.

Tim Davis, executive vice president and CTO of Kionix, commented: “Kionix has been immersed in gyro technology for some time, our first gyro having been introduced in 2003. This new generation of gyros reflects our deep understanding of maximizing performance by striking a balance between current consumption and noise with excellent bias stability over temperature. It will effectively establish best-in-class performance for consumer gyros.”

Targeting a global market for MEMS in consumer electronics and mobile handsets that analysts predict will reach more than US$3B in 2014 2, Kionix’s portfolio of MEMS inertial sensors adds intelligence through embedded algorithms and application software, speeding the implementation of popular functions such as tap/double-tap touch, directional shake and gesture recognition in portable devices.

“Kionix is not about simple inertial sensor sales. Embedded algorithms and application software such as Directional Tap/Double-Tap, Directional Shake, screen orientation and Gesture Designer have become an increasingly important part of Kionix’s overall digital product family.

Combined with our full suite of software development tools, Kionix offers the most comprehensive algorithmic and software solutions in the industry. The end result? Shorter design cycles, better implementations and better products for our customers,” Galvin stated.