ST releases third-generation MEMS sensor, bringing another leap in performance and functionality

     ST recently announced the launch of its third-generation MEMS sensor product line. A new generation of MEMS sensors will bring another leap in performance and functionality to smartphones, consumer smart products, healthcare and retail terminals.

     MEMS technology is the cornerstone of powerful motion, environment, and other tiny sensors that provide intuitive situational awareness in today's smartphones and wearables. Now, ST's next-generation MEMS technology takes sensor performance to new heights, surpassing the technical limitations of current commercially available products in terms of output accuracy and power consumption. Next-generation MEMS sensors deliver the industry's highest accuracy for applications such as activity detection, indoor navigation, and precision industrial sensing. At the same time, they can also keep power consumption low for extended runtime.

     Some MEMS products have additional capabilities including ST's Machine Learning Core (MLC) and electrostatic sensing. MLC brings adaptive machine learning capabilities to edge applications running at extremely low power. The charge change (QVAR) sensing channel monitors changes in electrostatic charge through body-contact or non-contact sensing (radar) in a smartwatch or fitness band. ST MEMS sensors with QVAR can enhance user interface controls to ensure seamless interaction, or simplify humidity and condensation detection. Radar mode applications include presence detection, activity monitoring, and people counting.

     Simone Ferri, Director of MEMS Marketing at STMicroelectronics, said: "The groundbreaking new generation builds on ST's extensive investment and history in MEMS expertise and process technology. In addition to revolutionizing sensor performance, we are also delivering a new generation of products through optional electrostatic Sensing and machine learning to further expand their capabilities. This provides a new generation of MEMS sensors ready for the Onlife era, making smart life more transparent and smoother through always-on, always-on and always-connected.”

     This new generation of sensors includes the LPS22DF and LPS28DFW (waterproof) barometric pressure sensors with an operating current of 1.7 µA and an absolute pressure accuracy of 0.5 hPa. The LPS28DFW features dual full-scale capability, enabling precise vertical positioning both underwater and above water. Its full scale range can be selected up to 1260 hPa or 4060 hPa, which corresponds to water pressure at a depth of about 30 m. These two sensors improve altimeter and barometer performance in portable and wearable devices, including sports watches. Typical industrial applications include weather monitoring and accurate water depth sensing.

     The new three-axis MEMS accelerometer, LIS2DU12, is designed to build an excellent ultra-low power architecture with active anti-aliasing. The current consumption of its anti-aliasing filter is the lowest on the market. The LIS2DU12 consumes only 3.5 µA at 100 Hz output data rate (ODR) and is the first commercially available MEMS accelerometer with an I3C interface. All these functions are integrated in the smallest 2.0 mm x 2.0 mm x 0.74 mm package. This accelerometer is ideal for wearables, hearing aids, True Wireless Stereo (TWS) headsets, wireless sensor nodes, and any application where system optimization is a must.

     The new 6-axis iNEMO inertial module LSM6DSV16X incorporates QVAR electrostatic sensing, as well as MLC and Finite State Machine (FSM) for enhanced response and power savings, operating as low as 12 µA. The new FSM enables Adaptive Self-Configuration (ASC) whereby the 6-axis MEMS device can sense context and reconfigure itself without waking up the system, enabling significant additional power savings, the new pressure sensor LPS22DF provides 2.0 mm x 2.0 mm x 0.73 mm 10-lead LGA package