STMicroelectronics LSM303AGR eCompass

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Using the latest electronic compass (eCompass) from STMicroelectronics, smartphones, smart watches, fitness trackers and other wearables will get better at guiding users and mapping their sporting achievements even where satellite navigation cannot work. The product is said to offer an improvement over current eCompass solutions, which can give errors of about 10°.

ST’s LSM303AGR eCompass cuts the heading error to less than 4°. This enhanced accuracy, combined with ultralow-power operation consuming up to 50% less than competing devices when in low-power mode, is well suited to high-precision pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) on mobile devices. The product also enhances dead-reckoning accuracy in applications such as automotive navigation and maintains accuracy over the full temperature range from -40°C to 85°C.

As an all-in-one eCompass IC fabricated on a single die, the device combines a 3-axis MEMS accelerometer leveraging ST’s ThELMA technology and a compact 3-axis anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensor that delivers higher sensitivity and lower noise than conventional Hall sensors. ST’s AMR manufacturing process technology gives the product good temperature stability compared to alternatives made using giant magnetoresistive (GMR) or tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) technology. The AMR sensor also has high dynamic range, which further contributes to the accuracy by preventing magnetic saturation in areas of high ambient field strength.

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