STMicro with world’s smallest Location-Placing Solution

An emerging new class of mobile consumer applications, such as location-based services and pedestrian dead-reckoning for indoor and multi-floor navigation, require rather complex sensing capabilities. By using just three ST MEMS sensors - a geo-magnetic module, a gyroscope, and a pressure sensor – a consumer device can have a complete indication of its linear acceleration, angular velocity, earth gravity, heading and altitude. ST’s soon-to-be-announced silicon pressure sensor uses an innovative technology to provide extremely high resolution measurements of pressure – and therefore also of altitude – in an ultra-compact and thin 3 x 3 x 1mm package. The device has an operating pressure range of 260 – 1260 millibars, corresponding to the atmospheric pressures between -700 and +10000m relative to sea level, and can detect height variations as small as 0.3 m. ST’s 10-DoF sensor solution is now available for evaluation, with mass production scheduled for the end of Q3 2011. Unit pricing for the three-chip set is USD 5.90 for volumes in the range of 100'000 pieces.