Freescale supplies silicon for motion-sensing device of Sensr

AUSTIN, USA: Freescale Semiconductor is supplying the advanced sensor technology for an innovative line of motion-recording instruments designed for industrial research, product testing and the shipping industry. Sensr, a supplier of motion monitoring and recording instruments, has chosen Freescale's three-axis accelerometer to handle the critical task of motion detection in Sensr's GP series instruments.

Sensr's cost-effective, compact instruments -- the GP1 programmable accelerometer and the GP2 USB accelerometer -- enable users to monitor, record and analyze even the slightest of motions, impacts, shocks, and drops, as well as temperature changes. This sophisticated motion monitoring capability enables developers to test the impact of sudden jolts on new products in the lab. The instruments are designed to record typical and abusive handling characteristics, identify uncontrolled handling events, document when tips, falls, drops and improper orientation occur, and quantify a shipper's performance.

Christopher Kavars, principal of Sensr, said: "Sensr developed the GP series as a user-friendly, cost-effective alternative to other motion-sensing instruments that are highly specialized, expensive and hard to use. Freescale's three-axis accelerometer offered the right combination of exceptional functionality, versatility and ease of use that our next-generation solution required."

Housed in a sleek, rugged billet-aluminum case about the size of an auto ignition key, Sensr's GP instruments are among the smallest, most sensitive sensing devices available for commercial use. The instruments can capture subtle movements that other recorders miss, and they can integrate static, dynamic and environmental data into a comprehensive data record that clearly shows what has occurred and when.

The GP1 and GP2 instruments can continuously record motion data for up to 35 days and have a memory capacity of more than 570,000 data points. Both instruments feature a standard USB connection to stream real-time data directly to a PC for real-time analysis.

Demetre Kondylis, vice president and general manager of Freescale Semiconductor's Sensor and Actuator Solutions Division, added: "Sensr's GP series instruments exemplify the next generation of monitoring and recording solutions-highly sophisticated, feature-rich, field-tough and cost-effective. Our three-axis accelerometers provide the advanced features that Sensr needs to give its GP series products a competitive edge in the market."

GP1 series technical details

GP series instruments provide real-time data streaming, a USB interface, easy-to-use software, LED alert indicators, event flagging and XYZ-axis response verification. The resulting output provides developers with easy-to-understand data records that include graphs and tables.

Sensr's GP1 programmable accelerometers and GP2 USB accelerometers feature a wide range of user-programmable recording modes. The GP instruments' versatile features and settings can easily be configured to meet application requirements for:

* Research and development (measuring dynamic responses, quantifying testing environments)

* Product testing (measuring baseline performance, identifying performance degradation)

* Transit monitoring (tracking shipment handling events)

* Asset management (identifying assets, documenting move and hold periods, recording typical and abusive treatment, registering dynamic performance changes, monitoring natural and environmental effects)