STMicroelectronics has launched the 'ASM330LHHG1,' a 6-axis automotive inertial measurement unit (IMU) designed to improve the accuracy of vehicle position and motion detection. This product focuses on enhancing dead reckoning performance to complement vehicle position estimation in environments where GNSS signals are weak or interrupted.

On the 10th, ST unveiled the new automotive-certified IMU, the ASM330LHHG1. The new product operates from -40 degrees Celsius to +125 degrees Celsius and is designed to be used in vehicle interior environments with significant temperature fluctuations.

Vehicle navigation, telematics, and V2X systems utilize GNSS-based location information, but satellite signal reception can become unstable in tunnels, underground parking lots, and densely populated urban areas with high-rise buildings. In such cases, dead reckoning technology, which estimates the vehicle's movement independently, is used as a supplementary means to maintain the continuity of location information.

As automotive electronic systems expand with a focus on ADAS and connected cars, the accuracy and time consistency of sensor data are also becoming important. IMUs, which provide acceleration and rotation information, are combined with other sensors such as GNSS, cameras, and radar to determine the vehicle's attitude and movement status.

The ASM330LHHG1 integrates a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope into a single package. It is characterized by reducing time errors that may occur during dead reckoning calculations, motion data correlation analysis, and GNSS sensor fusion processes by synchronizing and outputting data from the two sensors.

The new product enhances data stability in vehicle operating environments by incorporating low-noise MEMS sensors and temperature compensation functions. The accelerometer supports a range of up to ±16g, while the gyroscope provides a measurement range from ±125dps to ±4000dps. It supports both high-performance and low-power modes, allowing power usage to be adjusted according to system requirements.

Application areas include V2X, telematics, electronic toll collection, anti-theft, impact detection, accident reconstruction, driving convenience features, and vibration monitoring. ST supports I²C, MIPI I3C, and SPI interfaces, as well as a 3KB built-in FIFO, to reduce the data processing burden and power consumption of the host processor.

The ASM330LHHG1 has obtained AEC-Q100 certification and is being produced in a 2.5mm x 3mm LGA-14L package. As vehicles evolve to utilize more location and motion data, the scope of application for sensor fusion technology combining GNSS and IMU is also expected to expand.