Single-Chip Magnetometer Targets Space-Constrained Apps

A standalone, three-axis magnetometer developed by STMicroelectronics measures a mere 2 by 2 by 1 mm. The high-performance LIS3MDL thus will implement movement and position detection into applications where space is at a premium, such as smartphones, tablets, and personal navigation devices. It’s also suited to indoor navigation applications, thanks to its ability to calculate dead-reckoning when no satellite signal is available. The device can be combined with other ST discrete sensors (three-axis MEMS accelerometer, three-axis MEMS gyroscope) to build sensors with up to 9 degrees of freedom (DOF). Furthermore, when using the company’s iNEMO Engine Sensor Fusion software, designers can boost location-detection capabilities by integrating ST’s miniature multiple-DOF (M-DOF) sensors. Sensor Fusion helps coordinate these sensors to quickly create M-DOF systems for location-based services, enhanced motion-based gaming, and pedestrian dead-reckoning for indoor and multi-floor navigation (e.g., adding a MEMS pressure sensor for altitude sensing to enhance in-building accuracy).