Asahi Kasei Microdevices Develops 6-axis Electronic Compass for Portable Electronics
Tokyo, Jan 27, 2012 (JCN) - Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM), the Asahi Kasei Group's core operating company for electronic components, has developed AK8978, a 6-axis electronic compass for portable electronics such as mobile phones, smartphones and tablet devices.
The AK8978, available in a 3.0 mm x 5.0 mm x 1.0 mm, 26-pin LGA package, is optimal not only for smartphone applications, but also for other applications for which the compass function is increasingly adopted. These include GPS-enabled digital cameras, which record the camera direction in addition to the longitude and latitude when taking a photo, and game controllers which allow users to play by gesturing and pointing.
Sample shipments of the AK8978 are under way, with mass production scheduled to begin in February 2012.