mCube Unveils Its First Ultra-Low Power Accelerometer Family

mCube Unveils Its First Ultra-Low Power Accelerometer Family Optimized for Wearables and the “Internet of Moving Things”

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Lowers the sensor power consumption by up to 3X
Reduces the sensor footprint required by up to 3X
Leverages monolithic single-chip technology proven in mass-volume mobile devices
Speeds product prototyping with ready-to-use evaluation board

SAN JOSE, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — June 16, 2015 — mCube, provider of the world’s smallest MEMS motion sensors, today introduced the company’s first family of accelerometers optimized for wearables and the “Internet of Moving Things (IoMT)”. The MC3600 family of ultra-low power, high-performance 3-axis accelerometers is built upon mCube’s award-winning monolithic single-chip MEMS technology platform, widely adopted in mobile handsets with over 100 million units shipped. This technology platform enables very small, single-chip MEMS+ASIC devices that are cost effective, while consuming very little power and offering very high performance. They are ideally suited for the latest fitness, health monitoring and activity tracking devices that require ultra-low power and very small sensors.

The new MC3600 family of accelerometers will consume only 0.6uA of current, which is up to 3X less power consumption than competitive accelerometers. Additionally, the mCube accelerometer comes in a 2 x 2 mm package and occupies a small footprint on the printed circuit board, making it in some cases 3X smaller than other solutions on the market today for wearable devices.

“mCube’s original family of motion sensors was designed for smartphones and tablets which have relatively large batteries,” said Ben Lee, president and CEO, mCube, Inc. “With key input from leading device manufacturers, we developed the MC3600 family of accelerometers to extend battery life while keeping the footprint as small as possible, making them truly optimized for the wearables and IoMT market.”

Internet of Moving Things

By 2020, analysts predict more than 50 billion¹ devices will be connected to the Internet and a large percentage of those devices will be in motion. From smartphones and tablets to smart clothing and wearables, mCube is enabling a new era called the “Internet of Moving Things”, where the movement and context of everyday objects and devices can be measured, monitored and analyzed, generating valuable data and insights that will transform consumer experiences.

“In the highly competitive consumer market of inertial sensors, that will represent a market value of $4.33B in 2020², mCube has yet again proven its monolithic single-chip technology can deliver significant advancements in reducing sensor battery life and size,” said Jean-Christophe Eloy, President & CEO of Yole Développement. “A perfect fit for the promising market of wearable devices requiring extremely optimized chips in terms of size and power consumption. Having successfully shipped over 100 million units in smartphones and tablets, mCube is now taking its proven technology and developing products specifically optimized for the Internet of Moving Things. With the MC3600 product family, mCube is delivering innovative, tiny sensors to address the unique needs of the wearable device market.”

MC3610 Accelerometer

Featuring an industry-leading small die size, the first commercially available device of the family is the MC3610 accelerometer, an ultra-low power, integrated digital output 3-axis device, shipping in a 2 x 2 x 0.94 mm 12-pin package. The MC3610 device has a configurable sample rate that can be set between 0.4 to 200 samples per second at 8-, 10-, or 12-bit resolution with a 32-sample FIFO, or 14-bits for single samples. Its ultra-low power operating modes include a 0.6uA sniff mode, a 1.1uA 25Hz single-sample mode, and a 3.5uA 50Hz full operation mode. These advanced power modes, coupled with activity detection, enable IoMT devices to power-down other components during user inactivity, dramatically extending battery life.

The MC3610 is sampling now and features mCube’s proven monolithic single-chip motion sensor technology. With the mCube approach, the MEMS sensors are fabricated directly on top of IC electronics in a standard CMOS fabrication facility. Advantages of this monolithic approach include smaller size, higher performance, lower cost, and the ability to integrate multiple sensors onto a single-chip. mCube will continue to utilize this approach as it introduces more products in the MC3600 accelerometer family later this year.

EV3610A Evaluation Board

To help customers accelerate product prototyping, mCube is offering an easy-to-use evaluation board. The EV3610A provides the complete MC3610 pinout and can be plugged into a standard DIL 10 socket. It comes ready-to-use with the required decoupling capacitor integrated into the board. It is available for purchase online at Mouser Electronics. Visit http://www.mouser.com/mcube for more details.

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