editor's blog
Subscribe Now

What Might Make an Accelerometer More Robust?

Last month STMicroelectronics announced a new accelerometer “engineered to withstand stresses of modern mobile life.” They see those stresses arising from increasingly thinner phones and the mechanical and thermal challenges they cause. They called out board bending as a particular challenge to the mechanical integrity of the works inside the accelerometer package.

So how do you improve the mechanical structure of the accelerometer to do this? First, it helps to realize that there are two structures in ST’s accelerometers. One operates in-plane and provides both x and y acceleration information. A separate structure is used for the out-of-plane z axis acceleration. On older models, these two structures were set side by side.

To illustrate how things might be improved, they made reference to stability in an airplane, even though the comparison can’t be taken too literally. If you want the smoothest ride in the plane, you sit in the middle, between the wings. Especially to the extent that the middle has the least stress and that stresses radiate out from that, there’s more disturbance (bumpiness) at the extremes – the wingtips and nose and tail – than in the middle.

It turns out that the z-axis accelerometer is the most sensitive, so improving it was a goal. So they moved it to the middle of the die layout rather than having it off on one side. And where would the x/y structure go if the z structure is hogging the middle? Symmetry is achieved by splitting the x/y structure and putting one half on either side of the center z structure. The two halves become the “wings.”

The other improvement was to double the number of anchoring points on the z structure from 2 to 4. This reduced the stresses on those points, making them less subject to failure.

You can find more details on the performance of this acceleromete

Leave a Reply

featured blogs
Dec 5, 2023
Generative AI has become a buzzword in 2023 with the explosive proliferation of ChatGPT and large language models (LLMs). This brought about a debate about which is trained on the largest number of parameters. It also expanded awareness of the broader training of models for s...
Nov 27, 2023
See how we're harnessing generative AI throughout our suite of EDA tools with Synopsys.AI Copilot, the world's first GenAI capability for chip design.The post Meet Synopsys.ai Copilot, Industry's First GenAI Capability for Chip Design appeared first on Chip Design....
Nov 6, 2023
Suffice it to say that everyone and everything in these images was shot in-camera underwater, and that the results truly are haunting....

featured video

Dramatically Improve PPA and Productivity with Generative AI

Sponsored by Cadence Design Systems

Discover how you can quickly optimize flows for many blocks concurrently and use that knowledge for your next design. The Cadence Cerebrus Intelligent Chip Explorer is a revolutionary, AI-driven, automated approach to chip design flow optimization. Block engineers specify the design goals, and generative AI features within Cadence Cerebrus Explorer will intelligently optimize the design to meet the power, performance, and area (PPA) goals in a completely automated way.

Click here for more information

featured webinar

Rapid Learning: Purpose-Built MCU Software Tools for Data-Driven Embedded IoT Systems

Sponsored by ITTIA

Are you developing an MCU application that captures data of all kinds (metrics, events, logs, traces, etc.)? Are you ready to reduce the difficulties and complications involved in developing an event- and data-centric embedded system? This webinar will quickly introduce you to excellent MCU-specific software options for developing your next-generation data-driven IoT systems. You will also learn how to recognize and overcome data management obstacles. Register today as seats are limited!

Register Now!

featured chalk talk

Using the Vishay IHLE® to Mitigate Radiated EMI
Sponsored by Mouser Electronics and Vishay
EMI mitigation is an important design concern for a lot of different electronic systems designs. In this episode of Chalk Talk, Amelia Dalton and Tim Shafer from Vishay explore how Vishay’s IHLE power inductors can reduce radiated EMI. They also examine how the composition of these inductors can support the mitigation of EMI and how you can get started using Vishay’s IHLE® High Current Inductors in your next design.
Dec 4, 2023
285 views