New three-axis magnetometer provides directional heading accuracy for use in localization applications for smart mobile devices
Freescale Semiconductor is expanding its Xtrinsic line of intelligent sensing solutions with the introduction of the MAG3110, the company's first magnetometer. The Xtrinsic MAG3110 is a small-profile, low-power, three-axis digital magnetometer that delivers enhanced digital electronic compass (eCompass) functionality for location-based services (LBS) such as navigation, dead-reckoning and location-tracking in smart mobile devices and other electronics.
When coupled with an accelerometer and GPS, the Xtrinsic MAG3110 helps give end-users precise orientation and location information for a more comprehensive navigational system. The Xtrinsic MAG3110 also acts as a backup system when both cellular and GPS signals are unavailable by sensing the earth's magnetic field to provide directional context.
The Xtrinsic MAG3110 is designed to address rapidly growing consumer demand for devices featuring LBS capabilities. LBS has fueled consumer adoption of a number of popular smart mobile device applications including Foursquare, Facebook Places and Google Goggles. A forecast by Juniper Research predicts global LBS revenues could soar to $12.7 billion by 2014, up from $3 billion in 2009. As this type of functionality gains popularity, end-users are expected to demand always-on navigational connections and more accurate location identification, which can be enabled through the use and design of magnetometer sensor technology such as the Xtrinsic MAG3110.
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