Advanced airbag sensor 'MMX65xxKW' capable of improving automotive safety

Freescale Semiconductor ( www.freescale.co.kr )’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, based on HARMEMS (High Aspect Ratio Micro Electromechanical Systems) technology, offers significantly improved 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 product family features sophisticated collision 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 to improve driver and passenger safety, automotive suppliers are facing expectations of continued price reductions alongside performance improvements; in this context, Freescale is supplying automotive acceleration sensor products that can accelerate the development of advanced airbag systems capable of preventing injuries and saving lives caused by vehicle collisions.

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

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 105g 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. The sensor features an actuation pin function that reduces the risk of data corruption in the main crash sensor and safety sensor of airbag systems. The MMA65xxKW product family integrates single-axis or two-axis overdamping lateral inertial sensors into a quad flat no-lead (QFN) package to reduce installation area and improve flexibility in automotive module orientation.

The MMA65xxKW accelerometer sensor family (MMA6519KW, MMA6525KW, MMA6527KW, MMA6555KW, MMA6556KW) is currently being sampled, 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 ( 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 life extension program and are guaranteed to be supplied for at least 15 years.
Using the Tower System development platform, designers can quickly and easily combine modules to create application prototypes and add their own code to the provided firmware. The TWRPI-MMA6500 plug-in has been added to Tower Systems' Xtrinsic automotive sensors, including Freescale's MMA6900Q, MMA6800Q, MMA5000 (PSI5), and MMA2600 (DSI 2.5) ( www.freescale.com/towersensorpakauto ).

Im Gu-bin, Auto Marketing Manager at Freescale Korea
"Securing market leadership in the automotive sensor market with differentiated products"