At 1.5mm square, the world's smallest size IC, contributing greatly to the world's expanding smartphone market

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yamaha Corporation (TOKYO:7951) has developed the world's smallest^*1 tri-axial geomagnetic sensor integrated circuit for use in smartphones and tablet PCs, etc. Yamaha will begin shipping samples in mid-September, 2011.

The YAS532, of which samples will begin shipping, is the third in a line of Yamaha's geomagnetic sensor series. The YAS532 is at 1.5mm by 1.5mm in size, the world's smallest tri-axial geomagnetic sensor integrated circuit. Normally, sensor integrated circuits are made by packaging a CMOS circuit chip and multiple sensor elements. With this method, the elements and chip need to be wired and assembled within the package, which would make it difficult to shrink the size of a geomagnetic sensor integrated circuit. The use of Yamaha's proprietary technology, however, enabled smaller sizes through a monolithic structure that generates the sensor elements and CMOS circuits all on the same chip.

The YAS532, compared to the YAS530 which has been sold until now, has a 56% smaller size, with a 150% increase in dynamic range for further precision and with a lower consumption of power.

As with the existing product, it is provided with auto-calibration software^*2 that uses proprietary algorithms, and drivers for the various OS types, which will be made available in a timely fashion, and while responding to customer needs with technical support of the implementation of geomagnetic sensor integrated circuits, we assist in reducing the design load on our customers.

Product Overview
Yamaha began shipping the YAS529, the world's smallest class of tri-axial geomagnetic sensor integrated sensors, in 2005, which the company followed with the YAS530, a geomagnetic sensor integrated circuit in use by many smartphones and tablet PCs.

In recent years, as the area of printed circuit boards (PCBs) in smartphones has become smaller, geomagnetic sensor integrated circuits that need to avoid magnetic interference from many other parts have needed more and more to be smaller and have a wider dynamic range.

For Yamaha, with regard to the expanding geomagnetic sensor integrated circuit market, we plan to develop products that advance even higher levels of performance. At the same time, Yamaha plans to offer robust software including:

• Our sensor fusion software^*3 that supports the various types of sensors
• Software that realizes gyroscope sensor features in its functionality
• Software with correctional features for near field communication (NFC) coils used in wireless chargers

Principle Specifications

• Tri-axial geomagnetic sensor
• I2C host interface
• Wide dynamic range: ±1200μT (microteslas)
• High resolution: 0.15μT (X, Y axes), 0.25μT (Z axis)
• Power consumption: 4mA (when active), 1μA (on standby)
• Active measurement time: 1ms
• Operating voltage: 1.7 to 2.8V
• Operating temperature: -40 to 95 degrees Celsius
• Package size: 8-pin WLCSP, 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.65mm

Yamaha Tri-axial Geomagnetic Sensor Integrated Circuit, YAS532

Yamaha's Semiconductor Product Line
http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/product/lsi/
Yamaha's Sales Locations
http://www.yamaha.co.jp/english/product/lsi/contact/

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Contacts

Yamaha Corporation
Media Inquiries
Masahiko Maruhashi, +81-3-5488-6601
Public Relations Group, Corporate Communication Division
pr-contacts@gmx.yamaha.com
or
Customer Inquiries
Kenny Aoki, +81-539-62-4918
Semiconductor Division

Yamaha Unveils YAS532, the World's Smallest Tri-axial Geomagnetic Sensor Integrated Circuit for Smartphones. (Photo: Business Wire)