ST's MEMS accelerometer monitors and tracks motion and tilt around the car

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: STMicroelectronics has expanded its sensor portfolio with a new automotive-grade 3-axis low-g accelerometer.

Combining low power consumption and small footprint with high precision and robust performance, ST's new accelerometer targets a wide range of automotive applications, including vehicle tracking, event recording, abuse monitoring, and dead-reckoning for enhanced navigation capabilities.

ST's AIS328DQ senses acceleration along all three axes and converts the motion and tilt information into a high-resolution digital signal that it transmits to a microcontroller through a standard SPI or I2C interface. The accelerometer provides extremely accurate output across user-selectable full-scale ranges of plus or minus 2g/plus or minus 4g/plus or minus 8g, boasting excellent stability over time and temperature.

Robust and resistant to shock and electromagnetic interference, ST's AIS328DQ is qualified to AEC-Q100, a critical stress-test qualification for automotive integrated circuits established by the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC).

With an extended temperature range from -40 to 105 degrees C, the sensor can be used inside the cabin or inside modules that have self-heating components, like power stages. An embedded routine can be activated at any time to verify correct functioning of the device.

ST's newest automotive-grade accelerometer has been designed and produced using the same manufacturing-process technology that ST has successfully applied to more than 850 million motion sensors sold in the market.

Samples of ST's AIS328DQ automotive accelerometer are available and volume production is scheduled for Q3 2011. Unit pricing is below $3 for volumes in the range of 100,000 pieces.