Multisensor MEMS to post colossal growth
7 July 2010
News
iSuppli predicts that multisensor microelectromechanical (MEMS) packages – or multiple MEMS sensors contained in a single package – will experience explosive growth in automotive and consumer applications in 2010 and beyond because of their reduced size and lower overall cost.
Shipments of multisensor MEMS packages in automotive electronic stability control (ESC) systems will begin in 2010 and grow quickly to reach 25,9 million units in 2014 – representing more than 50% of the market. Likewise, shipments of multisensor MEMS packages for mobile handsets will take off in 2010 to reach 8,1 million units, up from 2,7 million in 2009. Shipments during the next few years then will grow by tremendous leaps and bounds to hit 305,0 million units by 2014.
Figure 1. Shipments of multisensor MEMS packages in ESC applications
Overall, multisensor packages used for ESC applications are 5% to 10% cheaper than the so-called inertial clusters – discrete sensor solutions of gyroscopes and accelerometers that have been combined on a printed circuit board in separate packages.
In common with automotive applications, multiple MEMS sensors are being used in cellphones and consumer electronics to achieve cost cuts compared to a discrete approach. A multisensor package costs 10% to 15% less than when the costs of individual discrete sensors are added up. Aside from reducing the financial outlay, multisensor packages ease the signal processing for the OEM. A multisensor solution usually fuses the signal from the different sensors, a difficult task that not all integrators are willing to perform.
Figure 2. Shipments of multisensor MEMS packages in cellphones
iSuppli expects that 30% of motion sensors will ship as part of multisensor MEMS packages by 2014, up from 1% in 2009. The 6DOF compass – combining a 3-axis compass and 3-axis accelerometer – will be the dominant solution, while 6-axis inertial measurement units (IMU) combining a gyroscope and accelerometer will emerge as the second most important multisensor package.
For more information visit www.isuppli.com
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