Freescale rolls MEMS pressure sensor

SAN ANTONIO, Texas—MEMS pressure sensors promise to be the next must-have component for smartphones and touchscreen tablets, because they impart the ability to determine altitude for next-generation location-based services—such as ascertaining what floor you are on in the mall—according to Freescale Semiconductor Inc., which announced a new low-cost Xtrinsic pressure sensor for consumer devices at the Freescale Technology Forum. "MEMS sensors are not just for human-machine interfaces anymore," said Wayne Chavez, operations manager for consumer and industrial sensors at Freescale (Austin, Texas), in reference to the use of MEMS accelerometers to change a smartphone's orientation from portrait to landscape. "Our new Xtrinsic pressure sensor uses smart algorithms to derive altitude from barometric pressure readings, to locate pedestrians for both location based services, and for safety applications, like e911, where authorities might want to find people who are in trouble, perhaps even unconscious." Freescale's Xtrinsic pressure sensor uses a proprietary piezoresistive MEMS process to achieve high-accuracy and low-power operation at a price affordable for mobile consumer device makers, the company claims. Smart algorithms combine with hardware acceleration, such as a built in first-in-first-out (FIFO) queue that extends battery life by allowing an application processor to access it at its leisure, instead of constantly polling it.

I-Micronews - MEMS : Freescale rolls MEMS pressure sensor...

MEMS pressure sensors promise to be the next must-have component for smartphones and touchscreen tablets, because they impart the ability to determine altitude for next-generation location-based services—such as ascertaining what floor you are on in the mall—according to Freescale Semiconductor Inc., which announced a new low-cost Xtrinsic pressure sensor for consumer devices at the Freescale Technology Forum. said Wayne Chavez, operations manager for consumer and industrial sensors at Freescale (Austin, Texas), in reference to the use of MEMS accelerometers to change a smartphone's orientation from portrait to landscape. "Our new Xtrinsic pressure sensor uses smart algorithms to derive altitude from barometric pressure readings, to locate pedestrians for both location based services, and for safety applications, like e911, where authorities might want to find people who are in trouble, perhaps even unconscious." Freescale's Xtrinsic pressure sensor uses a proprietary piezoresistive MEMS process to achieve high-accuracy and low-power operation at a price affordable for mobile consumer device makers, the company claims. Smart algorithms combine with hardware acceleration, such as a built in first-in-first-out (FIFO) queue that extends battery life by allowing an application processor to access it at its leisure, instead of constantly polling it.

Fig 1: Freescale's smart Xtrinsic components combine a sensor with smart algorithms that simplify system integration. Freescale will add to the family of smart in-cabin microcontrollers over the coming decade with a wide variety AEC-Q100-qualified S12 MagniV models. They integrate a processor with on-chip regulators, LIN and CAN physical layers and high-voltage motor drivers for smart in-cabin functions like LED lighting, stepper-motor control, brushless DC motor control and generic slaves. For instance, Freescale hopes to announce by 2012 a model for the smart control of windshield wipers that can detect rainfall and automatically turn them on. All S12 MagniV models are a part of Freescale's product longevity program that guarantees automobile makers that they will continue to manufacture the parts for at least 15 years.