January 21, 2009: Analog Devices Inc. has developed a new motion sensing device specifically for energy-constrained portable consumer products. The ADXL345 three-axis digital iMEMS (integrated microelectromechanical system) accelerometer is the lowest-power device in its class, achieving an 80% power savings compared to competing three-axis inertial sensors, according to a company news release.

The ADXL345 also incorporates an on-chip ADC (analog-to-digital converter) that dramatically reduces power consumption requirements in wireless handsets, personal navigation devices and other mobile applications, Analog Devices said.

The ADXL345 motion sensor incorporates an on-chip FIFO (first-in/first-out) memory block that stores up to 32 sample sets of X, Y, and Z data. By sampling input data to determine if the system should be actively responding to a change in movement or acceleration, the new motion sensing devices save additional system power by off-loading that function from the host processor.