Epson Toyocom Develops New Series of Gyro-sensors for Vehicle Attitude Sensing

- XV-9000 series provides electronic stability and rollover protection for vehicles -

 

- TOKYO, Japan, September 9, 2010 -

Epson Toyocom Corporation, the leader in crystal devices, today announced the development of a new series of compact, reliable gyro-sensors (angular rate sensors) capable of withstanding temperatures as high as 125°C. The new XV-9000 series of gyro-sensors is designed for vehicle attitude sensing applications in the automotive industry.
Product samples will become available in September 2010. Volume production is scheduled for December 2011.

More and more vehicles are coming standard-equipped with driving safety devices as calls for safer vehicles grow louder. The United States, Europe, and Japan have all introduced legislation mandating that vehicles be equipped with active safety systems such as electronic stability control (ESC) to detect skidding and correct vehicle attitude. In addition, manufacturers are increasingly installing passive safety features, such as rollover protection systems that detect vehicle rollovers and side curtain airbags. These safety systems, which have to be able to correctly sense skidding, rollovers, and other hazardous vehicular behavior, are driving growth in demand for gyro-sensors that detect changes in attitude by measuring angular velocity.

The sensors in the new XV-9000 series are designed to meet these needs. By applying QMEMS^*1 technology to fabricate crystal sensing elements in an original hammerhead structure, Epson Toyocom was able to realize very small sensors that exhibit stable characteristics over a wide temperature range (-40 to +125°C). In addition, Epson Toyocom increased sensor reliability by providing a diagnostic circuit that detects failures at any given time and at startup. The sensors have also achieved excellent vibration resistance and shock survivability by optimizing the sensing elements and their support structure.

Epson Toyocom will continue to contribute to greater traffic safety by providing stable, reliable angular rate sensors for automotive applications.

Main features

1. Operational up to 125°C, for installation in engine rooms
2. High reliability ensured by a function that diagnoses failures at any given time and at startup
3. Stable characteristics in small packages thanks to crystal sensing elements that employ an original hammerhead structure
4. Sensing elements and support structure provide high vibration resistance and shock survivability
5. J-lead pins used for superb joint reliability
6. AEC-Q100^*4 compliant

Main specifications

Product Specifications			XV-9100LV XV-9100LP	XV-9300LV XV-9300LP	Condition
Supply voltage	VDD	V	4.75 to 5.25
Operation temperature	TOPR	°C	-40 to +125
Scale factor	SO	mV/(deg/s)	20	6	25° C, VDD=5V
Rate range	I	deg/s	±100	±300	25° C
Output at quiescent	VO	V	VDD/2		25° C
Current consumption	IDD	mA	5.5 typ.		no-loaded
Bandwidth	BW	Hz	10	50	-3 dB point

Sensing Axes & External Dimensions		XV-9xxxLV	XV-9xxxLP
Sensing axis	-	Z	X
External dimensions	mm	7.2 x 6.8 x 3.3	9.5 x 5.0 x 7.2

Glossary

*1 QMEMS
QMEMS is a combination of "Quartz," a crystalline material with excellent characteristics such as excellent frequency stability and high precision, and "MEMS" (micro electro mechanical system). QMEMS devices, produced via a microfabrication process on a quartz material instead of on a semiconductor material like MEMS, offer high performance in a compact package.
QMEMS is a registered trademark of Epson Toyocom.
*2 Yaw rate sensor
*3 Roll rate sensor
As depicted in the illustrations below, yaw is rotational motion around the vertical axis of a vehicle. A yaw rate sensor is a gyroscopic sensor that measures the angular velocity of a vehicle's yaw motion. Roll is rotational motion around the longitudinal (front to rear) axis of a vehicle. A roll rate sensor is a gyroscopic sensor that measures the angular velocity of roll motion.

*4 AEC-Q100
The Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) was established by the "Big Three" U.S. automobile manufacturers and American auto parts manufacturers for the purpose of establishing common standards for the qualification and reliability of automotive electronic components. AEC-Q100 is widely used in Europe and America as a standard for semiconductor and electronic components used in the automotive industry.