One year after ROHM acquisition, company extends reach in inertial MEMS sensors
ITHACA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kionix, Inc. today announced a portfolio of products that further advances its position as a global leader in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial sensor design and manufacturing. Featuring three new accelerometers that set company benchmarks for low power, performance over temperature, and user programmability-as well as the company's first two gyros for mass-market consumer applications-these products mark a new stage in the company's development.
Just one year after its acquisition by the multi-billion dollar semiconductor supplier, ROHM Co., Ltd., Kionix is broadening its offerings for developers of consumer applications in which motion sensing, gesture recognition, drop detection, performance monitoring and location awareness are essential attributes. Congruent with Kionix's existing portfolio, the new products support the industry's most diverse selection of embedded algorithms and application software, fulfilling several objectives. They satisfy rigorous technical requirements, ease the design process for OEMs and ODMs, and leverage the company's in-house manufacturing capabilities for volume production.
"These new products respond to the needs of our customers and demonstrate our commitment and capability to build on our market position as one of the world's top-three suppliers of inertial sensors," said Greg Galvin, president and CEO of Kionix. "We have the foundation in place for continued aggressive growth because we provide our customers with the total solution-a diversified product line with significant resources dedicated to both hardware and software innovation, field-proven quality, a partnership approach to our customer relationships, extensive manufacturing capacity and all the benefits of a multi-billion-dollar company behind us."
Kionix Enters the Consumer Gyro Market
The company announced a pair of new gyros aimed at the consumer devices market-the dual-axis KGY12 and the tri-axis KGY13.
Citing a high-growth consumer gyro market that analysts expect to reach US$1.04B by 20141, Galvin stated: "MEMS gyroscopes are making consumer-electronics history with their rapidly-growing integration into a wide range of products. For Kionix, having had such widespread success with accelerometers, producing gyroscopes optimized for mass-produced consumer applications was a logical next step-and one that will enhance our market position in 2011 and 2012."
Kionix gyros are packaged in a 5x5x0.9mm 24-pin land grid array (LGA). They feature low power consumption and 16-bit digital outputs (I2C and SPI) over a measurement range of ±2048°/sec. Analog outputs are also available in user-selectable ranges of ±128°/sec, ±256°/sec, ±512°/sec, ±1024°/sec and ±2048°/sec. Both gyros offer user-definable bandwidth and embedded temperature sensors.
Tim Davis, executive vice president and CTO of Kionix, commented: "Kionix has been immersed in gyro technology for some time, our first gyro having been introduced in 2003. This new generation of gyros reflects our deep understanding of maximizing performance by striking a balance between current consumption and noise with excellent bias stability over temperature. It will effectively establish best-in-class performance for consumer gyros."
Targeting a global market for MEMS in consumer electronics and mobile handsets that analysts predict will reach more than US$3B in 2014 2, Kionix's portfolio of MEMS inertial sensors adds intelligence through embedded algorithms and application software, speeding the implementation of popular functions such as tap/double-tap touch, directional shake and gesture recognition in portable devices.
"Kionix is not about simple inertial sensor sales. Embedded algorithms and application software such as Directional Tap/Double-Tap, Directional Shake, screen orientation and Gesture Designer have become an increasingly important part of Kionix's overall digital product family. Combined with our full suite of software development tools, Kionix offers the most comprehensive algorithmic and software solutions in the industry. The end result? Shorter design cycles, better implementations and better products for our customers," Galvin stated.
A Trio of High-performance Accelerometers
The Kionix product portfolio sets new standards for low power, performance over temperature and broad user programmability:
- KXTH9 - A multiplexed analog tri-axis accelerometer packaged in a 3x3x0.9mm 10-pin LGA featuring:
- Analog output featuring an integrated 4-channel multiplexer that reduces system microcontroller unit (MCU) requirements to only one analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and two digital I/O's and achieves very high data sampling rates
- Factory-programmable low pass filter with option for user-defined external capacitors
- Ultra-low noise density at 150 µg/√Hz typical
- Low power consumption
- KXTG9 - A digital (I2C/SPI) tri-axis accelerometer packaged in a 3x3x0.9mm 10-pin LGA featuring:
- High-speed digital interface with SPI (40 MHz, 3 or 4 wire) and I2C for easy system integration, eliminating analog-to-digital converter requirements and providing direct communication with system micro-controllers
- Two intelligent user-programmable application interrupts, motion and/or freefall, that can use High Pass Filtered (HPF) or Low Pass Filtered (LPF) output
- Calibrated temperature measurement that can be read via the digital communication
- Low power consumption
- KXTI9 - A digital (I2C) tri-axis accelerometer packaged in a 3x3x0.9mm 10-pin LGA featuring:
- Non-volatile buffer memory for acceleration signals
- Enhanced integrated user-programmable orientation, tap/double-tap, and activity-monitoring algorithms
- User-selectable g-range (2g, 4g, 8g) and user-selectable Output Data Rate (ODR) that can use HPF or LPF output
- Low power consumption
Availability
The KGY12 dual-axis gyro is currently sampling, as are the KXTH9, KXTG9 and KXTI9 accelerometers. Samples of the tri-axis gyro will be available next month. For more information about these products, please email: salesna@kionix.com or contact the Kionix sales office nearest you: http://www.kionix.com/about-kionix/sales-offices.html.
About Kionix
Kionix, Inc., located in Ithaca, New York, USA, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ROHM Co., Ltd. of Japan. The Company pioneered high-aspect ratio silicon micromachining based on research originally conducted at Cornell University and today enjoys a global reputation for MEMS product design, process engineering and quality manufacturing. Consumer electronics leaders worldwide utilize Kionix's products, development tools and application support to enable motion-based gaming; user-interface functionality in mobile handsets, personal navigation and TV remote controllers; and hard-disk-drive drop protection in mobile products. Kionix's MEMS products are further diversified into the automotive, industrial and healthcare sectors. Kionix offers one of the industry's broadest families of MEMS devices that incorporate tri-axis accelerometers and gyroscopes along with the mixed-signal-interface integrated circuits that provide algorithm processing of sensor data. Kionix is ISO9001:2000 and TS16949 registered. For more information on Kionix, visit: http://www.kionix.com. For additional information on ROHM, visit http://www.rohm.com.
Kionix is a registered trademark, and Directional Tap/Double-Tap, Directional Shake and Gesture Designer are trademarks of Kionix, Inc. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
1 References Yole Développement market report, "Motion Sensor Market for Consumer & Mobile Applications, Global Gyroscope Market."
2 References iSuppli press release, "MEMS Market to Propel toward Double-Digit Growth in 2010," July 13, 2010.
Contacts
Kionix, Inc.
Edward Brachocki, 607-257-1080
Director, Marketing
ebrachocki@kionix.com
or
Jeanette P. Shady, 607-257-1080
Director, External Communications
jshady@kionix.com
or
Vetrano Communications
Maria Vetrano
pr_info@vetrano.com