Precision MEMS sensor positions and controls vehicles
An inertial sensor from STMicroelectronics provides accurate dead reckoning for automotive navigation, telematics, and highly automated driving systems. A three-axis accelerometer and three-axis gyroscope are integrated on a single chip leveraging ST’s proprietary end-to-end MEMS process.
The automotive-grade ASM330LHH six-axis inertial sensor provides high-resolution motion tracking in advanced vehicle navigation and telematics applications. It serves the demands for continuous, accurate vehicle location to support automated services, adds STMicro.
The ASM330LHH uses advanced dead-reckoning algorithms to calculate precise position from sensor data if satellite signals are blocked. Blocked signals can occur in urban canyons, tunnels, covered roadways, parking garages, or dense forests.
The temperature range up 105 degree C gives designers extra freedom to locate electronic controls in hot areas such as in smart antennae on the vehicle roof, or near the engine compartment. High linearity and built-in temperature compensation eliminate any need for external compensation algorithms over the operating range.
The ASM330LHH sensor’s low-noise, temperature-stable design enables telematics services such as e-tolling, tele-diagnostics, and e-Call assistance. Precision inertial data in six axes also meets the needs of advanced automated-driving systems, adds STMicro.
As with its other MEMS sensors, ST owns the entire manufacturing process, for the ASM330LHH, from design, through wafer fabrication, packaging, test, calibration, and supply. According to ST, this allows the company to assure customers of a robust and responsive supply chain, with rigorous end-of-line quality screening.
The ASM330LHH is qualified according to AEC-Q100 automotive-grade robustness standard and based on ST’s proprietary ThELMA MEMS process technology, which enables integration of both the three-axis accelerometer and three-axis angular-rate sensor (gyroscope) on the same silicon for optimum yield, quality, and reliability.
The electronic interface integrates the signal chain for both sensors on a single die using ST’s 130nm HCMOS9A technology.
Engineering samples will be available for evaluation by Q3 2018, and volume production will begin the following quarter.
Reference designs, as well as ST’s Teseo satellite-positioning modules and related software are also available.
