STMicroelectronics' the world’s top MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) manufacturer, and the leading supplier of MEMS devices for consumer and mobile applications, has leveraged its investment in advanced MEMS technology to create the world’s smallest e-compass, combining a 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis magnetometer in a single package.

Measuring just 2 mm x 2 mm, the tiny chip, used for advanced navigation and motion-sensitive features in products such as smartphones, is nearly 20% smaller than similar devices.

Even the smallest space savings can be precious inside a smartphone, activity-monitoring bracelet or smart watch, and ST’s new LSM303C e-compass saves almost 1 mm² of pc-board space compared to the closest competing device. This helps designers to optimize their component layout and minimize Wi-Fi^®, Bluetooth^® and cellular radio interference, thereby improving the performance of applications like indoor navigation or advanced motion tracking. For other smart consumer and professional applications, including wearable devices, the LSM303C’s size advantage enables smaller form-factors. In addition, the package of this combined accelerometer and magnetometer is board-compatible with ST’s 12-lead pure-accelerometer devices, allowing designers to quickly enhance or upgrade the features of more basic products.

• 3 magnetic field channels and 3 acceleration channels
• ±16 gauss magnetic full scale
• ±2/±4/±8 g selectable acceleration full scale
• 16-bit data output
• SPI/I²C serial interfaces
• Analog supply voltage 1.9 V to 3.6 V
• Power-down mode/low-power mode
• Programmable interrupt generators for free-fall, motion detection and magnetic field detection
• Embedded temperature sensor
• Embedded FIFO
• ECOPACK^®, RoHS and “Green” compliant