Since the earliest days of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor products, the goal of easily combining the sensing structures made using MEMS processing with the required signal conditioning has driven many sensor R&D labs. If successful, the solution would make the resulting devices more useful in a broader range of applications. In the 1980s, the circuitry […]
Gyroscope
IMU measures six axes while drawing less than 10 mA
TDK Corporation announces the expansion of the InvenSense SmartIndustrial sensor platform family. With its support for an extended temperature range of -40 oC to 105 oC, this new 6-axis IMU targets industrial applications that require extreme stability over temperature and great vibration immunity. The IIM-20670 features a robust monolithic 6-axis IMU, 3-axis accelerometer, and 3-axis […]
Motion sensor boasts current consumption of 790µA compared to 925µA
Tiny MEMS motion sensors are all around us. They make consumer products easier to use and improve how our smartphones and other gadgets interact with us. These sensors are precise, compact, and power-efficient, however, until now, they have been complex for basic applications. To address this issue, Bosch Sensortec is launching the BMI323, an affordable […]
What’s in the ball?
On August 20, in the third round of the BMW Championship golf tournament, an attendee put a remote-controlled golf ball on the 15th green where professional golfers Rory McIlroy and Scott Stallings were putting and tried to navigate it into the hole. After two failed attempts from McIlroy to knock the ball away with his […]
PIGAs can indeed fly – and are still the best, Part 3: History and future
The PIGA is the oldest accelerometer and widely used in rocketry and guidance, and still the best – but MEMS-based devices are getting closer. The previous parts looked at the principle and operation of the PIGA. This part looks briefly at its history and refinement and the MEMS-based versions of the PIGA being developed and […]
PIGAs can indeed fly — and are still the best, Part 2: Operation
The PIGA is the oldest accelerometer and widely used in rocketry and guidance, and still the best – but MEMS-based devices are getting closer. At the core of each single-axis PIGA is a gyroscope. The performance of this gyro — which is unrelated to the orientation gyros — plays a large role in determining the […]
PIGAs can indeed fly — and are still the best, Part 1: frame of reference
The PIGA is the oldest accelerometer, is widely used in rocketry and guidance, and is still the best — but MEMS-based devices are getting closer. When you see an inexpensive drone, a more sophisticated one, an unmanned aircraft, a standard piloted aircraft, guided or intercontinental ballistic missile ICBM), an underwater drone or submarine, or a […]
What sensors are in a smart cane? Pt 2
Inspired by self-driving vehicles and robotics, the Augmented Cane developed by Stanford University researchers uses a LiDAR sensor to measure distance to nearby obstacles and then provide directions so blind or visually impaired users can navigate around those areas. Additional sensors in the research prototype include GPS, accelerometers, magnetometers and gyroscopes to monitor the user’s […]
Six-axis MEMS motion sensors features supreme vibration rejection, temperature stability
TDK Corporation announced the availability of the InvenSense ICM-45xxx SmartMotion ultra-high-performance (UHP) family of 6-axis MEMS motion sensors. This family introduces the on-chip self-calibration, industry’s lowest power consumption, and world’s first BalancedGyro™ (BG) technology. BalancedGyro technology by TDK is the first-of-its-kind gyroscope MEMS architecture that enables supreme vibration rejection and temperature stability performance, an enhancement […]
Three-axis gyroscope/accelerometer combo is automotive qualified
TDK Corporation announces the availability of InvenSense IAM-20680HT high temperature automotive monolithic 6-Axis MotionTracking sensor platform solution for non-safety automotive applications, which includes the IAM-20680HT IMU MEMS sensor and the DK-20680HT developer kit. The IAM-20680HT embeds a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer in a thin 3 x 3 x 0.75mm (16-pin LGA) package and […]
