November 29, 2011, Seoul – STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor company in various electronic device applications and the No. 1 in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) for electronic and mobile device applications, has launched the industry's first 3-axis high-resolution accelerometer device with two finite-state machines embedded.

These programmable blocks enable customized motion recognition with internal sensors, allowing for specific motion recognition on motion-sensitive mobile phones or other smart electronic devices to answer calls, turn ringtones on or off, and operate applications such as pedometers, while also significantly reducing system complexity and power consumption.

Embedded finite states allow users to implement customized motion detection-based applications with high flexibility and alleviate the workload on the microprocessor by moving programming functions into the sensor. These basic programs identify specific motions or gestures defined by a set of instructions executed within the sensor firmware and execute related actions or applications.

Benedetto Vigna, Group Vice President and General Manager of the Analog, MEMS, and Sensor business unit at STMicroelectronics, stated, “By integrating processing functions into MEMS sensors, we can lower power consumption at the system level. This is particularly important for battery-intensive portable applications. Additionally, by equipping the sensor with a programmable state—a unique feature in the industry—we enable high flexibility and adaptability when designing motion-sensing consumer electronics.”

This accelerometer device from STMicroelectronics, called the LIS3DSH, provides extremely accurate output over a full-scale range of ±2g/±4g/±8g/±16g and boasts excellent stability over time and temperature. Other features include power-down and sleep modes, an embedded FIFO (first-in first-out) memory block, a temperature sensor, and a self-test function.

STMicroelectronics plans to begin mass production of the LIS3DSH 3-axis linear accelerometer, which integrates a finite state and utilizes the same micromachining technology process that has been successfully applied to over 1.6 billion motion sensor products already sold, starting in the first quarter of 2012, with a price of $1.2 per unit for a quantity of 1,000.