Triple-axis accelerometers enhance application performance with low power consumption, self-test diagnosis and temperature compensation

MMA73xxL Acceleration Sensors Package Shot
MMA73xxL Acceleration Sensors Size Reference Package Shot
MMA73xxL Acceleration Sensors Signature Graphic

AUSTIN, Texas – May 12, 2008 – Accelerometers are becoming mainstream technology for consumer applications that require low power consumption and advanced motion sensing within a small form factor. Freescale Semiconductor has expanded its low-g triple-axis analog accelerometer product family to address this rapidly emerging trend in consumer electronics. The MMA7361L, MMA7368L, MMA7341L and MMA7331L triple-axis analog accelerometers have tailored features designed to enable motion sensing in mobile phones, hard disk drives, media players, games and toys.

The MMA73xxL XYZ-axis analog accelerometers provide a self-test diagnostic feature that verifies the accelerometer is in working order at any time before or after it is implemented in design. All four devices are extremely flexible with a selectable 1.5g – 12g range to tackle various sensing functions, such as fall, tilt, motion, positioning, shock and vibration for multifunctional applications.

Consumer designers will find the MMA73xxL accelerometers ideal for use in cell phones and portable media devices to provide functions such as tilt scrolling, gaming control, tap to mute and freefall hard disk drive protection. In addition to enabling mobile platforms, the MMA73xxL devices also can be used in consumer applications that require wireless sensing, such as enabling remote control LED lighting for home and industrial automation.

MMA7361L, MMA7368L, MMA7341L and MMA7331L features

• Low-dimension land grid array (LGA) 3x5x1mm package
• Low current consumption at 400 microamperes
• Sleep mode at 3 microamperes for extended battery life
• Temperature compensation offset
• Low-voltage operation at 2.2 V – 3.6 V
• XYZ: three axes of sensitivity in one device
• Customer-selectable g-range
  • MMA7361L: 1.5g/6g
  • MMA7368L: 1.5g
  • MMA7341L: 3g/11g
  • MMA7331L: 4g/12g
• Fast power-up response time at 1 ms (0.5 ms enabled response time)
• Self test for freefall detect diagnosis
• Zero-g detect for freefall protection

Development support, price and availability
The MMA7361L, MMA7368L, MMA7341L and MMA7331L sensors are available now. The suggested resale price in 10,000-piece quantities starts at $2.71 (USD) for all four devices.

Development tools also are available for the MMA7361L, MMA7368L, MMA7341L and MMA7331L sensors. The KIT3376MMA7361L, KIT3376MMA7368L, KIT3376MMA7341L and KIT3376MMA7331L development kits are available at a suggested resale price of $35.00 (USD) each. Freescale also offers the ZSTAR2 kit (orderable tool number RD3473MMA7360L), which is the wireless triple-axis successor to the popular ZSTAR. ZSTAR2 includes a background debug mode (BDM) header for on-board programming. It is available at a suggested resale price of $99.00 (USD). For more information about Freescale's accelerometer products and tools, visit www.freescale.com/files/pr/xyz.html.

About Freescale Semiconductor
Freescale Semiconductor is a global leader in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for the automotive, consumer, industrial, networking and wireless markets. The privately held company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing or sales operations in more than 30 countries. Freescale is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies with 2007 sales of $5.7 billion (USD). www.freescale.com.

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