3-Axis Electronic Compass Developed

[seifenfisch]

you may like to know :
http://www.alps.co.jp/e/news_release/2006/0511_01.htm
The world’s smallest three-axis electronic compass with angle compensation functions

1. Equipped with a trio of compensation functions made possible by the application of proprietary algorithms and magnetic sensors
2. The world’s smallest ( 3.5mm width x 3.5mm depth x 1.0mm height ) compass with angle compensation functions

Principal Applications
Mobile phones, PDAs, car navigation systems and other compact mobile devices

[Nixie]

Very interesting seifenfisch... a very nice find - thanks. That would have to be the smallest 3 axis compass too!

It'd be nice to know what format is the output from it. I had a look around the ALPS site but saw no further information on it other than the basic specification. I see that it has an IIC interface but that is only a serial bus type.

[Nixie]

It's very likely that it's output is completely decoded to positional data in each of three planes so it shouldn't be hard to use.

[seifenfisch]

true, Alps is not saing much :confused:
so I "googled" it a little...

found the competitor:
http://www.akm.com/datasheets/ak8970N-s.pdf
AK8970N:
Measurement time 38 ms with 155 µA operating current
±5° accuracy.
Temperature comensated
Production in QFN-24
priced $5.24 i / 25k.
better now ?
:)