Compact low-power six-axis 3D accelerometer / gyroscope modules

Mouser has announced it is now stocking the LSM6DS3 and LSM6DS33 3D accelerometer and 3D gyroscope modules from STMicroelectronics (ST). Part of the iNEMO Ultra family of inertial MEMS sensor modules, the newcomers deliver an optimized two-chip system-in-package (SiP) solution that combines always-on, low-power capabilities with ultra-low noise and superior sensing precision for mobile motion detection and analysis. The extremely compact 6-axis sensor modules boast industry-leading low-power performance down to 0.6mA in always-on mode - a 20 percent improvement over other solutions, says the company. The LSM6DS3 and LSM6DS33 3D gyroscope modules have a full-scale acceleration range of ±2/±4/±8/±16g, and an angular rate range of ±125/±245/±500/±1,000/±2,000 degrees per second, and offer industry-leading noise performance (90µg/vHz and 7mdps/vHz, respectively). The modules operate from an analog supply voltage of 1.71V to 3.6V and are highly tolerant of mechanical shocks. Both modules offer I2C and SPI interfaces, and the LSM6DS3 module extends this communication through three different modes. The modules’ event-detection interrupts allow for recognition of free-fall events, 6-D orientation, tap/double-tap sensing, activity or inactivity, and wakeup events. The LSM6DS3 contains an on-chip sensor hub, which supports a total of six sensors: internal accelerometer and gyroscope, as well as support for up to four external sensors. The LSM6DS3 also supports the data acquisition of an external magnetometer with correction for hard- and soft-iron effects. An embedded temperature sensor in both modules also enables additional capabilities and broadens application possibilities. The LSM6DS3 and LSM6DS33 modules are available in ultra-small land grid-array (LGA) plastic packages that measure just 2.5mm × 3mm (LSM6DS3) and 3mm × 3mm (LSM6DS33). The modules are ideally suited toward a variety of low-powered, smart sensor applications such as handheld devices, wearable devices, indoor navigation, and innovative objects for the Internet of Things (IoT). The LSM6DS3 and LSM6DS33 modules are supported by a full development platform, including the STEVAL-MKI160V1 adapter board, which is software- and hardware-compatible with the STM32 Nucleo Open Development Environment. The STEVAL-MKI160V1 adapter board can be plugged into the X-NUCLEO-IKS01A1 expansion board for STM32 Nucleo, enabling easy evaluation of the LSM6DS3 and LSM6DS33 modules in combination with other ST’s MEMS and environmental sensors. The LSM6DS3 and LSM6DS33 modules are also supported by the STEVAL-MKI109V2 MEMS adapters motherboard, which provides a complete platform for evaluating ST MEMS products.