May 8, 2012, Seoul — STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM, hereinafter ST), a global semiconductor company in various electronic device applications and a leading supplier of MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) for consumer electronics and mobile devices, has unveiled the world's first 3-axis accelerometer (H3LIS331D) capable of measuring high acceleration with ultra-low current consumption.

ST’s newly introduced 3-axis accelerometer can be used in a variety of devices with limited space and power, ranging from vehicle dashcams to medical monitoring equipment and sports equipment, and accurately detects impacts of up to 400 g, which is 400 times the force of gravity.

In addition, while most existing high-gravity impact detection solutions are single or two-axis based 'airbag-type' sensors that consume a lot of power, ST's high-gravity accelerometer is optimized for various battery-operated devices and is characterized by having the lowest current consumption and accurate three-dimensional detection capabilities.

This new product features low-power, precise, high-impact detection capabilities, making it particularly suitable for portable medical equipment or concussion monitoring in sports involving significant impact, such as ice hockey, American football, or car racing. It can also significantly enhance the impact protection functions of consumer electronics, accident data recorders (black boxes), and collision detection capabilities of cargo monitoring systems.

ST's high-gravity acceleration sensor not only detects motion through three axes in a full-scale range of ±100g to ±400g, but also maintains stability even in high-temperature environments for extended periods. The on-chip IC interface converts accelerated data into a 12-bit digital bit stream and transmits it to a dedicated microcontroller via the standard SPI or I2C protocol with high reliability.

Meanwhile, the H3LIS331DL combines the low-power interface of ST's LIS331DLx accelerometer, which has established itself as an industry standard with hundreds of millions of units sold, with a new sensing-structure design.

ST's high-gravity acceleration sensor is currently undergoing sampling and is scheduled to begin large-scale mass production from the end of the second quarter of 2012. The price per unit is $5 for orders of 1,000, and the price is negotiable for large orders.