Google selects austriamicrosystems for Arduino prototyping platform

UNTERPREMSTAETTEN, AUSTRIA: austriamicrosystems, a leading global designer and manufacturer of high-performance analog ICs, has announced that its EasyPoint mini joystick module has been selected by Google for the new Android Open Accessory Development Kit (ADK) (http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/usb/adk.html).

The new reference design platform uses the N50P111 EasyPoint joystick module with the AS5013 linear Hall sensor IC to support a new user interface for developers.

Google’s new Android Open Accessory Development Kit is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. The Arduino board using the EasyPoint module operates with the Android OS and allows you to interact with your Android Phone and the entire environment.

The EasyPoint module was selected and designed in as one of the main HMI devices on an Arduino accessory board of the official Google Android Open Accessory Development Kit. EasyPoint replaces older, less reliable HMI’s such as analog sticks and circle pads.

An open system such as Android is very attractive to developers. There are no NDAs, no fees, no approval process, and it’s completely open for fast and easy development. According to ABI Research, a total of 302 million smartphones were shipped in 2010, representing a 71 % growth over 2009′s shipment levels.

“Our EasyPoint module is based on our unique AS5013 magnetic encoder IC and provides a robust and accurate user interface for a variety of position sensing applications,” stated Alfred Binder, marketing manager at austriamicrosystems. “Being designed in as the key user interface on the Google Android Open Accessory Development Kit compatible board will speed development time for designers and proliferate our success in the Android space.”

EasyPoint boasts low power consumption, perfect for battery driven portable devices, but also offers many other features that simplify and speed design time. Such features include: full 360 degree navigation; low power mode, down to 3 µA; I2C interface; progressive speed control, and highly reliable contactless sensing (>1 million Cycles). These features and capabilities make EasyPoint very well suited for gaming phones, remote controls, gaming consoles, keyboards, and MIDs.