eNews 1/2009

NEW EXTENDED +/-6G RANGE FACILITATES INTEGRATION OF ESC-MEASUREMENT FUNCTIONS TO HYDRAULIC BLOCK

The measurement range of SCA8X0 and SCA21X0 products is now extended to +/-6g range to facilitate the integration of the ESC-measurement functions to the hydraulic block. Traditionally the ESC-measurement components have been in a relatively well protected environment inside the vehicle cockpit. This is gradually changing, with the introduction new generation ESC-systems. ESC-measurement functions are now being integrated to the hydraulic unit, under the hood, to environmental conditions which are much more severe than what has been required from ESC-sensors before.

The temperatures are higher and vibrations of the hydraulic unit are exceeding significantly the measurement range of traditional sensor clusters. However, the cost savings are also significant, reducing the sensor cluster from the vehicle completely. Also system responsibilities are clear for the Tier 1 suppliers and system design more straightforward with fewer parties involved in the system design phase.

What if the sensor's current consumption could be reduced down to 1 microamp with 1 Hz sample rate?

Energy is always a limited resource and this is a fact especially in primary cell powered systems. As VTI's 3D MEMS technology has "built in" low power features, we have developed low power as one of our key differentiators.

Some years ago the typical current consumption of a 3-axis accelerometer targeting consumer applications needed ~1 mA of current. SCA3000, when introduced, broke barriers with close to 100uA operation. A month ago, we brought the sensor's current consumption to a new level with CMA3000. With 10uA only, you can measure acceleration in three dimensions with 40Hz sample rate - adequate for monitoring applications and even for pedestrian speed and distance measurement. Read more

New generation of MEMS gyros is arriving

VTI's 3D MEMS technology enables miniaturization and mass production of angular motion sensors. In addition to the automotive market these sensors will be found in many consumer products due to their low cost and small size.

Automotive airbag systems created a mass market for low-cost accelerometers during the 90's. At the same time angular motion sensors were still bulky and expensive mechanical or optical gyroscopes. Thus, these sensors were used only in somewhat low volume applications in industries like aerospace and military.

Meet VTI's Quality and Environmental Systems Manager Mary Iivanainen:

STRIVING TO EXCEED CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS

"Quality is the difference between smart people doing smart things and a brilliant organization doing the right thing", says VTI's Quality and Environmental Systems Manager Mary Iivanainen.

"It is a lot more than having a product which passes final testing: quality is about aligning every activity in an organization to meeting and exceeding customer requirements. That means that every employee is part of the Quality Management System, working as a unified team towards a common goal. And not only do we do that well at VTI, but we strive to do it better every day", Iivanainen states.

VTI @ CES 2009 - passion for technology

The Consumer Electronics Show CES took place in Las Vegas January 8th-11th. Being the world's largest annually organized consumer electronics show, this is where the latest trends and news in the field of digital electronics are revealed. Read more

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