Freescale Announces Advanced Airbag Sensor to Improve Automotive Safety
The new accelerometer precisely detects and deploys airbags, helping to prevent injuries and save lives.

November 4, 2011, Seoul, Korea — Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: FSL, www.freescale.co.kr ) is supplying automotive acceleration sensor products that can accelerate the development of advanced airbag systems that help prevent injuries and save lives caused by car crashes. Freescale’s new Xtrinsic MMA65xxKW accelerometer family features intelligent sensing technology for front and side collision detection that can be easily and efficiently integrated into automotive airbag systems.

The MMA65xxKW product family is based on High Aspect Ratio Micro Electromechanical Systems (HARMEMS) technology. This product family offers significantly enhanced performance by providing higher precision and a wider dynamic range than currently available competing solutions. Equipped with a robust and streamlined on-board communication system, the MMA65xxKW family possesses sophisticated crash detection capabilities that enable the rapid and reliable deployment of the entire passive safety system when a collision is unavoidable.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that more than 25,780 lives were saved by airbags between 1987 and 2008. As airbags become more advanced and improve the safety of drivers and passengers, automakers are facing expectations that prices will continue to fall alongside performance improvements.

"Freescale's latest accelerometer family contributes to the automotive industry's goal of eliminating automotive fatalities by providing the performance improvements needed to streamline airbag detection and deployment," said Seyed Paransun, Vice President and General Manager of Freescale's Sensor and Actuator Solutions business unit. "The new sensor family offers automakers a simplified airbag system approach that improves sensor precision without the need for programming, enabling them to increase design efficiency and reduce associated costs."

Saving lives with automotive safety solutions
Freescale’s MMA65xxKW accelerometer is a safety sensor located in the vehicle’s main electronic control unit (ECU) when satellite sensors are used in the airbag system. Satellite inertial sensors (Freescale’s MMA5xxxKW) are positioned along the perimeter of the vehicle to detect frontal and side impacts. These sensors work together to help determine the optimal airbag deployment in the vehicle.

The MMA65xxKW sensor operates over a range of 105 g and outputs 12-bit data at 18.2 LSB/g, supporting improved sensor resolution that requires no manufacturer programming and wider dynamic range measurement capabilities required for compact vehicles. Compatible with the standard Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) protocol, this sensor can be easily integrated into airbag systems. It features actuation pins that reduce the risk of data corruption in the primary crash and safety sensors of airbag systems. The MMA65xxKW family integrates single-axis or two-axis overdamped lateral inertial sensors into a quad flat no-lead (QFN) package to reduce footprint and improve flexibility in automotive module orientation.

Supply situation, pricing, and development support
The MMA65xxKW accelerometer sensor family (MMA6519KW, MMA6525KW, MMA6527KW, MMA6555KW, MMA6556KW) is currently available for sample supply, and mass production is planned for the second quarter of 2012 at recommended resale prices (USD) of $3.69 for MMA6519KW, MMA6525KW, and MMA6527KW, and $2.99 for MMA6555KW and MMA6556KW, based on an order of 10,000 units. Further details can be found at http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=MMA65xx .

The Xtrinsic MMA6519KW, MMA6525KW, MMA6527KW, MMA6555KW, and MMA6556KW accelerometer sensors are included in Freescale’s Product Longevity Program and are guaranteed for a minimum of 15 years. Further information and terms of agreement are available at www.freescale.com/productlongevity .

The TURA system development platform allows designers to quickly and easily combine modules to create application prototypes and add their own code to the provided firmware. The TWRPI-MMA6500 plugin has been added to TURA system's Xtrinsic automotive sensors, including Freescale's MMA6900Q, MMA6800Q, MMA5000 (PSI5), and MMA2600 (DSI 2.5). Further details can be found at www.freescale.com/towersensorpakauto .

Freescale: A Leader in Automotive Sensors
Freescale’s Xtrinsic sensor solutions, continuing over 30 years of sensor innovation, combine high-performance sensor capabilities, processing power, and customizable software to deliver smart and differentiated sensor applications. Freescale’s Oak Hill plant in Austin, Texas, USA, houses a production line for advanced 200 mm (8-inch) automotive MEMS sensors that supports mass production and foundry business.