MEMSIC vibration-filtering accelerometers and tilt switches are first of their kind

A unique family of acceleration and tip-over sensor components from MEMSIC Inc. includes four new sensors: the MXD6240 and 41AU, MXC6244AU, and MXC6245XU.  
 
These new sensors provide tip-over and acceleration sensing in a wide range of automotive, industrial and consumer applications, such as motorcycle and off-road vehicle tip-over detection, vehicle navigation, and digital SLR camera horizontal position detection. 
 
The 624x family uses thermal accelerometer technology that utilizes heated gas molecules to sense acceleration instead of a mechanical beam structure. The transducer exhibits a natural low-pass frequency response with virtually no mechanical resonance and extremely high accuracy over a range of temperatures. This makes the devices extremely well suited to harsh and/or high-vibration environments, where competing sensor solutions can exhibit false readings or other errors due to resonance.  
 
The MXD6240 and MXD6241AU are autonomous inclination sensors with eight built-in, pin-programmable tip-over angle thresholds from 40 to 70 degrees, making them ideal for tip-over applications where no microcontroller is available. If the device orientation with respect to vertical exceeds the programmed threshold angle, the digital output changes state to alert the system to a tip-over or fall-down event. In addition to the transducer’s inherent low-pass response, an internal anti-vibration filter provides >45 dB attenuation above 25 Hz, and >60 dB attenuation above 50 Hz, setting it apart from all other tip-over sensors in the market.
 
The MXC6244AU and MXC6245XU are complete 2-axis I2C interface accelerometers, each with 1 mg of resolution. The MXC6244AU is ±8 g full-scale range device. It includes the internal anti-vibration filter and the eight angle thresholds. They are programmable through the I2C interface. 
 
The MXC6245XU is a ±2 g full-scale range device and is targeted at cost-sensitive applications not requiring the programmable anti-vibration filter or the eight programmable tip-over angle thresholds. It offers 12 bits of resolution (1 mg) and has the same outstanding over-temperature bias performance of typically 0.1 mg/C.
 
The 624x family offers a full range of functionality, features, and performance to serve the diverse needs of different applications. The fully autonomous MXD6240/41 eliminate the need for a microcontroller and can replace older mechanical pendulum solutions in motorcycles and off-road vehicles. The MXC6244AU can be used directly in Engine Control Units (ECUs) for the same application, thereby allowing for the elimination of a separate tip-over module. For applications not requiring the enhanced vibration rejection or programmable angle thresholds, the MXC6245XU still delivers the excellent over-temperature performance of the MXC6244AU at the lowest cost. 

Editor’s Comment: This chip is a breakthrough, in that it replaces the pendulum-type sensors currently used to sense if vehicles are in danger of tip-over with a much more rugged, compact device that won’t give false readings due to vibration.

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