ST automotive accelerometer makes call in an emergency

SWITZERLAND: STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, and the world's leading supplier of accelerometers, has added another "world's first" device to its industry-leading portfolio of motion sensors.

The new AIS3624DQ, a 3-axis accelerometer with digital output, is the first to provide a full-scale range of +/-24g (acceleration of gravity) while meeting the automotive industry's demanding AEC-Q100 reliability stress tests.

Automotive suppliers are developing an important application to automatically contact emergency services in the event of a collision or vehicle problem. The application can supply potentially life-saving details such as the location of the vehicle and the estimated severity of the problem or accident to emergency service operators. Examples of these services include Onstar (USA), eCall (Europe), and ERA Glonass (Russia).

"In addition to all of the amazing safety innovations already built into today's vehicles, this tiny sensor may play a vital role in protecting the car's occupants," said Fabio Pasolini, GM of the Motion MEMS Division, STMicroelectronics. "ST's long-standing interest in augmenting peoples' lives and our leadership in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) have again come together in an important sensor that could potentially help consumers."

The major parameters in estimating the severity of a collision include the decelerations that occurred in all three dimensions at the moment of impact; for instance, the ERA Glonass specification for the Russian market requires that longitudinal accelerations up to +/-24g must be measurable with sufficient accuracy. The AIS3624DQ brings all the benefits of ST's market-proven stacked-chip technology to the automotive market.

STMicroelectronics solution is based on its 8" manufacturing of MEMS products and offers a more competitive solution than the others who produce on 6".