STMicroelectronics' new geomagnetic module
Power and space saving for mobile compass applications

Korea, May 6, 2011 – STMicroelectronics ( www.st.com ), the world's leading integrated semiconductor company and No. 1 MEMS provider for consumer electronics and portable devices, has launched the LSM303DLHC, a new geomagnetic module that facilitates the introduction of high-precision mobile compass functions. With an ultra-small 3mm x 5mm x 1mm package and an operating current consumption of as little as 110 microamperes, ST's LSM303DLHC meets the size constraints and power consumption requirements of portable electronic devices with outstanding accuracy and performance.

ST’s new digital compass device, the LSM303DLHC, integrates high-performance motion sensing and magnetic sensing and combines excellent stability with respect to temperature and time, making it suitable for applications such as location-based services, dead reckoning, map/display orientation, and direction finding. Global market research firm IHS iSuppli forecasts that the digital compass market will grow at a CAGR of 25%, reaching $638 million in 2015 from $208 million in 2010.

The LSM303DLHC module provides highly accurate output over an extended full-scale range of up to ±16g (linear acceleration) and ±8 Gauss (magnetic field), and compared to competing devices currently in production, it has a 60% improvement in magnetic field detection resolution (2 milligauss) and is 40% smaller in size. The LSM303DLHC integrates a temperature sensor and a programmable FIFO (first-in first-out) memory block. Advanced features include 4D/6D direction finding and two programmable