STMicroelectronics has introduced the market’s first dual-core gyroscope capable of handling both user-motion recognition and camera image stabilization. With the innovative system architecture of the ST device, equipment manufacturers only need to use a single gyroscope for the two different functions, reducing the size, system complexity, and cost in mobile phones, tablets, and other smart consumer devices. The innovative design of ST’s dual-core gyroscope employs separate output paths optimized for the two different functions in a 4x4x1 mm package. The device addresses, at the same time, motion and gesture recognition and optical image stabilization for sharper mobile-camera photos.
Addressing power constraints in battery-operated portable devices, ST’s new gyroscope includes power-down and sleep modes and an embedded FIFO (first-in first-out) memory block for smarter power management. The gyroscope embeds a temperature sensor and can operate with any supply voltage over the range of 2.4 to 3.6V. ST’s L3G4IS dual-core gyroscope is sampling now and volume production is scheduled for Q2 2012, with unit pricing at $3.9 for volumes in the range of 1,000 pieces.
