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"A small form-factor has become a critical competitive requirement aselectronic devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobilephones, continue to shrink in size," explains Frost & Sullivan IndustryAnalyst V. Sankaranarayanan. "By saving board space, small-form-factor MEMSaccelerometers free up valuable room for integrating more functions, and thisacts as a new driver for MEMS accelerometers."
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The KXSC7 from Kionix measures a minute 3x3x0.9mm and features a lowoperating current consumption of 230 uA, or less. By introducing the new KXSC7accelerometer, Kionix has responded definitively to the market demand forsmaller-form-factor, lower-power-consuming MEMS accelerometers for the gaming,mobile handset, and other consumer electronics applications.
Gregory J. Galvin, Kionix President and CEO, is pleased to receiveKionix's second Frost & Sullivan award within two years. "The KXSC7's tiny3x3x0.9mm footprint and excellent performance are unquestionably impressive,and we are grateful to have been recognized by Frost & Sullivan for thisinnovation," said Galvin. "Not only has Kionix met the demand for small formfactor, we are satisfying our customers' needs for enhanced functionality bypacking these miniature accelerometers with total-solution features, such asdrop-detection and screen rotation algorithms."
Kionix already has a family of 5x5mm, 3x5mm, analog output, digitaloutput, and very-high-sensitivity, navigation-grade accelerometers as well asless-sensitive, consumer-grade products. These products have been widelyaccepted in game controllers, notebook computers, hard disk drives (HDD), andpersonal navigation devices. The KXSC7 now allows Kionix's customers entryinto battery-operated applications that are sensitive to power consumption. Itwill allow end-users access to smaller devices, such as cell phones, thatrequire the 3x3mm form factor instead of a 5x5mm form factor.
"The KXCS7 is not only an enhancement in its packaging, but represents animprovement in wafer fabrication as well," continues V. Sankaranarayanan."Kionix's proprietary deep reactive ion etching technology, whichdistinguishes itself in its ability to create higher aspect ratios notattainable by others in the industry, enables the Company to create structuresthat others cannot."
The KXSC7 is an innovation of this unique sensor technology in parallelwith its low-power application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designtechnology, which is an overall improvement in the Company's prior devicefabrication. Additionally, although ASIC technologies for the industry aresimilar, Kionix's in-depth understanding of how sensor elements work to enablecertain applications allows the Company to support its customers with theimplementation of the device to achieve superior results. Devices are allindividually tested and programmed to achieve the customer-specificrequirements of offset voltage and performance.
Frost & Sullivan's research indicates that there currently exists a hugeworldwide interest in MEMS accelerometers for gaming, mobile electronicdevices, and numerous other applications. Kionix's timely introduction of theKXSC7 accelerometer, designed to address the requirements of theaforementioned markets, is expected to increase the Company's revenue growth.Hence, Kionix is the deserving recipient of the 2008 Frost & Sullivan ProductLine Strategy Award in
